Nevermoor’s Jessica Townsend on frantic fans, her fantasy smash hit – and feeling ‘gutted’ by JK Rowling

The latest book in Townsend’s bestselling children’s series is out amid a surge in anti-trans rhetoric. But she remains committed to making sure her millions of readers all ‘know they have a place in Nevermoor’

Gruffalo to return with first new book in more than 20 years

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have announced they are working on a new outing for the monster in the deep dark wood, due out in September 2026

Most parents don’t enjoy reading to their children, survey suggests

Report from Nielsen and HarperCollins shows that parents see reading as a literacy skill, rather than something to encourage their children to love

Jane Gardam, author of Old Filth and The Hollow Land, dies aged 96

Described by Ian McEwan as ‘a treasure of English contemporary writing’, the Yorkshire-born novelist’s career spanned 50 years

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

A gosling grows up; a campaign to save trees; the impact of partition; thorny dilemmas; wearing a hijab in Essex and more

‘Something playful’: celebrating the art of endpapers in children’s books

New exhibition in Amherst, Massachusetts, looks at the unsung art that exists on the pages that bookend much-loved kids books

Beegu review – Alexis Deacon’s mellow yellow alien adventure hits the stage

Rejected by adults, the far-from-home heroine is embraced by cheering children in Debbie Hannan’s comical show

Children and teens roundup – the best new chapter books

A classic Yeti romp with 28 possible endings, a Blade Runner-style thriller and more adventures on the Thames with Jessie Burton

The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods wins Waterstones children’s book prize

Mikey Please’s book inspired by game family played during lockdown, while Carlos Sánchez and Nathanael Lessore win for young readers and teens categories

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

Sleepy monsters; a wacky broken robot; a search for magical treasures and more

Bestselling Australian Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey signs eight-figure deal for seven new books

First title of series for tweens titled Game of Pets will be fantasy story to debut in 2026

Martha Mills young writers’ prize 2025 opens for entries

This year’s competition for 11- to 14-year-olds, in memory of the budding writer who died aged 13, is on the theme of A New World

Lauren Child in running for repeat Carnegie medal after 25 years

Former children’s laureate joins shortlists for prestigious children’s book prizes that ‘highlight the diversity and high quality’ in British work

A Squash and a Squeeze review – Donaldson and Scheffler favourite crammed with songs

Ingenious puppetry and jolly performances help animate the beloved story about an ever-expanding indoor menagerie

Picture books for children – reviews

Laughter abounds with tales of mini beasts at bedtime, a box filled with babbling babies and an odd-couple comedy from Julia Donaldson