Children's Bookseller of the Year 2025
Children’s Bookseller of the Year Winner and Shortlist
Proudly sponsored by the Macmillan Children’s Books
Spending pressures, competing media and rising costs were among the many challenges for children’s booksellers last year, and the TCM recorded a slight dip in volumes. These nine booksellers were all impressively resilient and did great work to nurture the next generations of book buyers. Despite all the pressures on small businesses, independent shops provide two thirds of the nominees.
The Winner
Wonderland Bookshop
Retford
In a year that saw a concerning dip in the number of children reading for pleasure, the Wonderland Bookshop in Retford was a source of inspiration. The shop turned five in 2024 and combines youthful energy with a mature infrastructure. Beyond the day-to-day selling of a well-chosen range, it welcomed around 20 authors and worked with several dozen schools – supporting one with a “book drive” to restock the library after flooding, and running a “Pay It Forward” scheme that allowed under-privileged pupils to visit and get a free book.
Manager Helen Tamblyn-Saville – shortlisted for Individual Bookseller of the Year – is a superb promoter and handseller. She also sees the big picture on issues like inclusivity: Wonderland is a safe space for LGBTQ+ families and has supportive elements like a wheel- chair ramp and private or Zoom-based browsing for those who need quiet. Sustainability is another top priority, with minimal plastic, wooden book tokens and window displays to promote environmental activism.
The shop is clearly loved by all who step through the doors. “It’s a book TARDIS… a safe space for children and teens to find heroes they really identify with,” said one customer. “In a place that isn’t necessarily easy for bookselling, it’s pulling out some amazing and creative ways to engage the audience,” the judges agreed.
Having won this category, Wonderland Bookshop joins the shortlist for the Book Retailer of the Year Award.
The Shortlist
Books2Door
Online
Also nominated for Book Retailer of the Year, Books2Door has helped publishers reach parents and children who would otherwise not see their books. It is much more than a deep discounter, with TikTok activity and teacher engagement helping to lift sales by a quarter in 2024. In a sign of its commitment to widening the market, Books2Door has just become the first online retailer to take World Book Day tokens.
The Children's Bookshop
Muswell Hill, London
This Muswell Hill institution wasn’t just last year’s Children’s Bookseller of the Year: it was the overall Book Retailer of the Year. It’s also the oldest children’s bookshop in the country and celebrated 50 years in 2024 with dozens of author events, signings, book clubs and storytimes, plus outreach at festivals and conferences. Fresh initiatives included a creative writing course and competition.
The Edinburgh Bookshop
Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Bookshop has been shortlisted for this Award in 11 of the last 12 years—proof of its enduring appeal to children and parents. Last August it moved to a bigger building with a dedicated Children’s Room and more space for the regular clubs and storytimes. Inclusivity and accessibility are at the shop’s core and there’s great outreach work to schools and community projects.
Kibworth Books
Kibworth Beauchamp
Kibworth Books is shortlisted for its Children’s Room, a small but perfectly formed space where displays and windows are among many strengths. As well as the usual author events and celebrations there have been initiatives like a book review competition. Most effective of all is the shop’s work with dozens of local schools including fairs and library curation.
The National Trust
Nationwide
The National Trust’s 117 retail outlets are important channels for illustrated children’s publishers in particular. Curation and displays are excellent, and books slot into big Trust activities like Easter Trails and blossom celebrations. The Trust’s partnership with Nosy Crow reaches its tenth year in 2025, with nearly 100 titles now published together. Inclusion and sustainability are cornerstones of the operation.
Nomad Books
Fulham, London
Founded in 1990, Fulham’s Nomad Books is exactly the same age as the British Book Awards. 2024 got off to a bad start when a burst pipe flooded the shop with waist-high water, but its indefatigable team of four bounced back with another year of growth. There was collaboration with schools on several dozen events and lots of community work. “Nomad Books is a joyful shop,” said one visiting author.
Tales for Tadpoles
Bray
Tales for Tadpoles, a small independent that moved from Dublin to Bray in County Wicklow in 2022, is shortlisted at the British Book Awards for the first time. Its strengths lie in attractive hardbacks and handselling, and there’s a popular Wonderbox subscription programme and loyalty scheme. 2024 also brought around 65 shop events and a project to improve online sales.
Waterstones
Nationwide
Waterstones bucked the downward trend in the children’s market last year, with popular promotions like the Book of the Year and Children’s Book Prize bolstering day-to-day sales. Publishers admire the buying and strategic thinking of its head office and the energy of its booksellers. “This is the most collegiate, focused, imaginative and thorough Waterstones team I’ve worked with,” said one.
Wonderland Bookshop
Retford
Retford indie Wonderland celebrated its fifth birthday in 2024. It had to cope with floods and tough high street trading conditions, but events and work with schools on book lists, fairs, author visits and more sustained sales. Inclusivity, community support and charitable work are all important, and manager Helen Tamblyn-Saville found the time to run the London Marathon in support of Booktrust.
