Sheffield Children’s Book Award

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.

Previous overall winners
  • 2024 – The Rainbow Snail by Karin Åkesson published by Boxer Books
  • 2023 – Ruffles and the new green thing by David Melling. Published by Nosy Crow
  • 2022 – The Crossing by Manjeet Mann. Published by Penguin
  • 2021 – Super Happy Magic Forest and the Humungous Fungus by Matty Lee Published by Oxford University Press
  • 2020 – Show and Tell by Rob Biddulph. Published by Harper Collins
  • 2019 – The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, published by Orion
  • 2018 – We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
  • 2017 – Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett
  • 2016 – Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed by Michael Rosen
  • 2015 – A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson
  • 2014 – Spider Sandwiches by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Sue Hendra
  • 2013 – Everything's Amazing (Sort Of) by Liz Pichon
  • 2012 – Agatha Parrot and the Floating Head by Kjartan Poskitt and illustrated by David Tazzyman
  • 2011 – The Pig's Knickers by Jonathon Emmett and illustrated by Vanessa Cabban
  • 2010 – Morris the Mankiest Monster by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Sarah McIntyre

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