Children's Publisher of the Year
Children’s Publisher of the Year Winner and Shortlist
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Children’s books sales held up well in 2025, but alarming research into falling levels of reading for pleasure has been the sector’s big talking point. These 10 nominees – half of them from big groups and half very proudly independent – are all doing excellent work to halt that trend, with exceptional publishing and promotion that meets children where they are. There is no room for complacency, but alongside their counterparts in bookselling, they can look forward with optimism.
Winner
Scholastic
A contender on the shortlist in eight of the past 10 years, Scholastic scoops the title of Children’s Publisher of the Year after reaping massive rewards for its sustained hard work.
While many children’s publishers were treading water in 2025, Scholastic was powering forward, with sales rocketing 30% in the TCM – equivalent to an extra £8m through the tills. A good chunk of that was generated by Suzanne Collins' Sunrise on the Reaping, the TCM’s bestselling children’s book of 2025, which also takes both the Children’s Fiction Book of the Year and Marketing Strategy of the Year at this year’s Nibbies. “Books like this play an important role in bringing people into reading, and the level of hype surrounding the release was amazing to see,” said the judges.
A second star of Scholastic’s 2025 was Dav Pilkey, who is also the winner of Illustrator of the Year. Pilkey’s children’s books bagged eight of the TCM’s top 50 spots; the only illustrator besting him for sales in 2025 was another Scholastic big hitter, Axel Scheffler, who delivered from his own books as well as those with Julia Donaldson for the Alison Green imprint. While these four names provided Scholastic’s top 30 titles, there was bench strength from baby books through to YA. Beyond the TCM came big uplifts in rights, co-editions and audio licensing.
“Such growth in a tricky market is an extraordinary feat,” said the judges. They also applauded Scholastic’s efforts beyond selling books, like improving representation – half of its new books included characters of colour, double the industry average – and championing reading for pleasure. “There’s a deep-seated commitment to diversity… and a strong mission around children’s literacy and reading.”
The Shortlist
Andersen Press
Andersen Press moves into its 50th year with the same spirit and creativity of independence it had when it launched under Klaus Flugge. There were a handful of awards for new books, while backlist perennials like David McKee’s Elmer flourished thanks to great promotional work. After moving into new offices in 2025, Andersen has thrown open the doors to schools and launched new Klaus Flugge Salons for those working in children’s books.
David Fickling Books
DFB is shortlisted for the fourth year in a row, reflecting a stellar run fuelled by Jamie Smart’s Bunny vs Monkey series. TCM sales jumped 14% – the second-fastest growth of any top-20 children’s publisher – and exports and rights outpaced even that. DFB has invested its Smart earnings well, with impactful launches in 2025 including Neill Cameron’s Donut Squad series and the new Phoenix Comic Books imprint. “DFB is an incredible force for good,” said one happy author.
DK
Penguin Random House’s DK was the country’s top-earning children’s non-fiction publisher in 2025. A rich backlist has always been DK’s biggest strength, and it took the flagship Anthologies series to new heights. There was a fresh focus on the frontlist too, with an upswing in new titles. Licensing work included double-digit sales growth from its LEGO partnership and a new fiction imprint called DK flip. Author care and marketing were both excellent.
Farshore
HarperCollins’ Farshore was powered by some big children’s brands like Minecraft and Mr Men in 2025, and it secured a Nero Book Award with Jamila Gavin’s My Soul, A Shining Tree. Even more important was the work it did to promote reading, including through vital research into the barriers to children’s reading, the Farshore Funny Fest with the Beano to engage reluctant readers, and support for the National Literacy Trust and Teachers’ Reading Challenge.
Magic Cat
Small Press of the Year in 2024 and joint Independent Publisher of the Year in 2025, Magic Cat is now a contender for Children’s Publisher of the Year. Its sales, profile and author list – now including the likes of Jamie Oliver and Robert Macfarlane – belie the fact it has only been publishing for six years. TCM sales shot past the £1m mark, with the large majority of coming from the press’ phenomenal work in rights, co-editions and exports.
Nosy Crow
Nosy Crow, the reigning Children’s Publisher of the Year, grew its sales yet again in 2025. This was not down to one or two hit books or series, but to a massive breadth of publishing. International markets generated more than two thirds of sales and Nosy Crow’s new North America subsidiary has hit the ground running. The publisher turns 15 in 2026, combining the spirit and agility of an independent with the clout and reach of a big publisher.
Penguin Random House Children's
PRH’s children’s empire is shortlisted here for the first time in six years. It is the result of revitalisation and a 6% hike in TCM sales in 2025, taking it to the highest point since the group’s creation. The publisher’s books took half of the Sunday Times’ weekly children’s number ones, a large chunk of which were from Jeff Kinney and Katie Kirby. Tom Fletcher and the Coco Wyo collective were not far behind, but the majority of TCM income came from PRH’s mighty backlist.
Scholastic
Scholastic has been shortlisted in 12 of the last 15 years, but it has never had a time like 2025. In the annual Review of the Year, The Bookseller described it as a “record-obliterating” 12 months for the publisher, with TCM sales soaring 27%. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping was the TCM’s bestselling children’s book of the year, while Dav Pilkey was its fifth-top author after his sales jumped by half. Julia Donaldson’s sales continue to build relentlessly and co-editions and exports rocketed too.
Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Simon & Schuster’s children’s division had its biggest year yet, with TCM sales up 12% and exports, audio, e-books and rights rising even faster. Lauren Roberts was the second biggest YA author of 2025 while AF Steadman, Rachel Renée Russell and Lynn Palmer became even bigger brands. There was a notable crop of hit debut authors as well, plus eight prize wins. Fandom activity, in real-world events as well as online, was excellent.
Usborne
Usborne is an evergreen presence of both children’s publishing and the Nibbies, having been shortlisted every year but one since this award began in 2011. Despite disruption at distributor HarperCollins, it was a TCM top-10 publisher again in 2025, and in-house author Fiona Watt hit the phenomenal milestone of 20 million books sold. There were 10 book award wins, and beyond these shores Usborne’s titles were translated into well over 100 languages.
