A is for Activist: why children’s books are getting political
Children’s literature is seeing a ‘seismic shift’ in diversity as authors say they want to make sure children of color see themselves represented
Onjali Rauf: ‘My mother said publishing was a white world, but I should always try’
The author’s debut children’s novel was an instant bestseller. She talks about tackling issues such as the refugee crisis in children’s fiction – and the shocking crime in her family that changed everything
Book clinic: which books will make me a better parent of an adopted teenage girl?
Jacqueline Wilson recommends some titles whose mothers, real and fictional, are endearingly flawed
Why Harry Potter and Paddington Bear are essential reading … for grown-ups
Oxford don champions children’s books as figures show that sales to adults are soaring
Barcelona school removes 200 sexist children’s books
Other schools look to follow after Tàber school takes out one-third of its collection, deeming the books ‘highly stereotypical and sexist’
Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels
A superhero snail, bibliophile bunnies, a story about grief filled with folkloric menace and more
Fewer than 2% of British children’s authors are people of colour
Only 1.96% of authors and illustrators between 2007 and 2017 were British people of colour, compared to 13% of the population
Fiction for older children reviews – zombie chases and killer aunties
Tales from the classroom to the ghetto
Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels
A scruffy puppy’s friendship, a young adventurer’s guide to the wild, poltergeist spooks and scroll down for the best new books for teens
Gripping refugee tale wins Waterstones children’s book prize
Anti-trafficking campaigner Onjali Q Raúf was inspired to write adventure story The Boy at the Back of the Class by a Syrian mother and baby she encountered in a Calais camp
Campaigners hail ‘seismic shift’ in diversity of US children’s books
Number of books featuring African Americans has more than doubled in the past decade, with Asian Americans tripling
Philip Pullman wins JM Barrie lifetime achievement award
Author of His Dark Materials acclaimed as ‘a magical spinner of yarns’ who appeals to all ages – especially children
Carnegie medal shortlist celebrates novels in free verse
Three of the eight shortlisted novels for the UK’s most prestigious children’s book award are coming-of-age stories in verse
The Burning by Laura Bates review – a tale of two witch-hunts
Past and present are interwoven in this powerful young adult novel by the founder of the Everyday Sexism project
Why reading aloud is a vital bridge to literacy
Advice that children should still be read to as teenagers makes sense, as they learn the complex gear changes between speech and prose