Sheffield Children’s Book Award was launched in 1988 to encourage children and young people to read, and to highlight the best literature published each year. The awards celebrate books and what they do for the Sheffield Community. Hundreds of children from across the city take part every year by voting for their favourite book through local schools and libraries.
The Sheffield Children’s Book Award Shortlist 2025
We ‘re excited to announce this year’s shortlist! All the books are available from your local library for you to borrow, read and then vote for your favourite.
Baby Book Category
Play Pals: At The Park by Sam Lloyd, published by Ladybird.
There There Little Puppy by Anna Milbourne and illustrated by Bruno Brogna. Published by Usborne
Mixed Up Farm Animals by Spencer Wilson, published by Boxer Books.
Toddler Book Category
Lionel by Lo Cole, published by Rocket Bird Books.
Runaway Cone by Morag Hood, published by Two Hoots.
Smelly Peggy by Helen Stephens, published by Walker Books.
Picture Book Category
Snail in Space by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Nadia Shireen. Published by Simon and Schuster.
The Girl At The Front Of The Class by Onjali Q. Raúf and illustrated by Pippa Curnick, published by Hodder Children’s Books.
Otto The Top Dog by Catherine Rayner and published by Macmillan.
Emerging Reads
Croaky Search For The Sasquatch by Matty Long, published by Oxford.
Astrid and the Space Cadets! Attack of the Snailiens! By Alex T Smith, published by Macmillan.
Murray and Bun! Murray the Viking by Adam Stower, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books
Shorter Novels Category
A History Of My Weird by Chloё Heuch, published by Firefly Press.
The Letter With The Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Raúf, published by Orion.
Reggie Houser Has The Power by Helen Rutter, cover illustration by Andrew Bannecker, published by Scholastic.
Longer Novels Category
I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery, published by Walker Books.
The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival, published by Simon & Schuster.
The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani, published by Usborne.
Young Adult Books
Songlight by Moira Buffini, published by Faber.
Handle With Care by Louisa Reid, published by Guppy Books.
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland, published by Hot Key Books.