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Children's

Children's news, features, previews, comment and bestseller charts

Features

LGBTQ+ authors see school visits cancelled after 'complaints from parents'

Authors of books featuring same-sex families, gay characters and other LGBTQ+ themes have told The Bookseller they have had school speaking events cancelled, or pupils withdrawn, amid complaints from “homophobic” parents.

Comment

News for emerging authors: May

Comment

News for emerging authors: April

Latest News

Education Committee sets out measures to stem decline in reading for pleasure

Rachel Denwood announces first acquisition for new PRH children's imprint

The Auzou Group acquires Gulf Stream Éditeur

Alice Blacker and Holly Tonks to jointly lead HarperCollins' picture book and heritage portfolio

1,600 Hachette staff volunteer for Raising Readers Day

Emma Jones to join Simon & Schuster Children’s

John Agard wins record third CLiPPA

Farshore targets ‘accelerated’ picture book growth with team restructure

Latest Features

LGBTQ+ authors see school visits cancelled after 'complaints from parents'

Publishing should 'get more involved' with wider media, says CMC's Greg Childs

Patrice Lawrence outlines her priorities as Waterstones Children’s Laureate

Carnegie Medal for Writing and Shadowers' Choice Award winner 2026: Beth O'Brien

YA Book Prize 2026 shortlist: Penguin and Firefly titles among nominees

Video

Check out these video highlights from the inaugural British Audio Awards - aka The Speakies

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Usborne to run: kids’ indie toasts half century

by Horace Bent

It was a family affair over at the inconspicuous Usborne stand, as the children’s independent celebrated five decades in publishing.

On your marks: BCBF sets off at a pace

by Horace Bent

UK delegates at this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair were greeted with an unusual scene in the city centre after alighting from their Sunday flights…

On John Agard

by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

This week, John Agard became the first poet to win the BookTrust lifetime achievement award. Here, judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce pays tribute to him.

Lessons from Clanchy

by Tara Tobler

The response to the criticism of Kate Clanchy’s memoir was a moral failure on the part of white publishing—and an artistic failure too

Difference and disability

by Lisette Auton

Children’s fiction remains awash with dangerous tropes when it comes to characters with disabilities. It’s time to ensure there is positive representatio

Children’s Top 20View All

1

Heartstopper Volume 6

Alice Oseman

Imprint: Hodder Children'sISBN: 9781444974881RRP: 14.99, ASP: 10.97Publish Date: Jul 2, 2026

2

Sticker Dolly Dressing K-POP

Lesley Sims; Sandrine Lamour

Imprint: UsborneISBN: 9781806460724RRP: 7.99, ASP: 4.77Publish Date: May 7, 2026

3

Lottie Brooks vs The Ultra Mean Girls

Katie Kirby

Imprint: PuffinISBN: 9780241647233RRP: 8.99, ASP: 6.27Publish Date: Jul 2, 2026

4

Cozy Friends

-

Imprint: PenguinISBN: 9780241808955RRP: 7.99, ASP: 5.32Publish Date: Jan 22, 2026

5

Bunny vs Monkey: Intergalactic Monkey Business!

Jamie Smart

Imprint: DFB PhoenixISBN: 9781788453622RRP: 9.99, ASP: 7.2Publish Date: Jul 2, 2026

6

The Dinosaur that Pooped A Football

Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter; Garry Parsons

Imprint: PuffinISBN: 9780241649299RRP: 7.99, ASP: 4.57Publish Date: May 7, 2026

7

Girl Moments

-

Imprint: PenguinISBN: 9780241808979RRP: 7.99, ASP: 5.2Publish Date: Jan 22, 2026

8

Guess How Much I Love You

Sam McBratney; Anita Jeram

Imprint: WalkerISBN: 9781406358780RRP: 7.99, ASP: 4.17Publish Date: Oct 2, 2014

9

The Seriously Epic Holiday of Lottie Brooks

Katie Kirby

Imprint: PuffinISBN: 9780241769249RRP: 14.99, ASP: 9.2Publish Date: Apr 9, 2026

10

Frog's Day Out

Julia Donaldson; Axel Scheffler

Imprint: Macmillan Children'sISBN: 9781035006885RRP: 7.99, ASP: 3.98Publish Date: Apr 25, 2024

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Books

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Authors interviews, news and book previews

Books

Books on BookTok: BookTok's impact on book buying

A recent report from Public First, with additional research from EY, found that in 2025 TikTok helped generate £175m in consumer spending on books and concluded that one in four 18–24-year-olds on TikTok bought a book after seeing it on the platform. This week, BookTok creators assessed whether the platform has encouraged people into indie bookshops.

Author Interviews

Holly Bourne talks about her new YA body horror thriller

Taking inspiration from real-life reports, Holly Bourne changes direction in her latest YA novel, And Then We Screamed, which confronts the horrors facing teenage girls.

Author Interviews

Chloe Benjamin introduces her third novel, a speculative story about the possibility of another universe

Eight years in the writing, Chloe Benjamin’s Under Story is inspired by a real phenomenon in Antarctica.

Bestsellers

Herstory: female writers dominate the History Top 10

Back in the mists of time – or at least 2024 – sales of NielsenIQ BookData’s History & Military category hit record sales of £65.9m, but there is some mixed news for 2026 with the volume figure in History & Military slipping by 7.9%.

Author Interviews

Holly Bourne talks about her new YA body horror thriller

Author Interviews

Chloe Benjamin introduces her third novel, a speculative story about the possibility of another universe

Bestsellers

Herstory: female writers dominate the History Top 10

Bestsellers

Good Evans! The Correspondent is number one with indies again

More Author Interviews

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YA Book Prize 2026: Ravena Guron discusses Mondays Are Murder

YA Book Prize 2026: Bea Fitzgerald discusses A Beautiful Evil

Julia Gray and Imogen Russell Williams on their Pride and Prejudice sequel for teens

Louise Kennedy’s second novel is a piercing tale of love, friendship and loss

Pachinko author Min Jin Lee returns with an epic about education and aspiration

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Latest Previews

Children's Previews

With Halloween approaching, publishers are putting out a slew of dark and magical titles, plus Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler return to the deep, dark wood…

by Caroline Carpenter