Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2025 shortlist revealed

The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2025 shortlist has been revealed, featuring 12 books across illustration, younger readers and older readers. The award is voted for by Waterstones’ booksellers and is now in its 21st year. The award has launched the careers of authors and illustrators including Katherine Rundell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Rob Biddulph.

Bea Carvalho, head of books, Waterstones, said: "We are so excited to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Sharing a love of books with young readers is the most important thing we do as booksellers, and we have been proud to celebrate the very best emerging talent in children’s publishing for over 20 years with this special prize. Every year our booksellers are blown away by the ingenuity of children’s writers and illustrators, and this year was no different.

"In our illustrated category we are thrilled to present a quartet which celebrates plucky characters, dreamy landscapes and all things spooky and delicious. Our shortlist of books for younger readers showcases storytelling excellence across historical adventure, fantasy and real life stories, and includes the first graphic novel to be shortlisted for its age-group. Meanwhile there is something for teens of all tastes in our older readers category, with books which are hilarious and heartbreaking to appeal to both reluctant readers and avid bookworms. Booksellers have prioritised reading for pleasure with this shortlist and we can’t wait to share all twelve books with readers young and old, far and wide."

The shortlist consists of 12 books across three categories. Four books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Winner 2025.

The winners will be announced at an evening ceremony on Thursday 27th March 2025. The winner of each category will receive £2,000, with the overall winner receiving an extra £3,000. In the event that the prize is awarded to a partnership, then the prize money will be split equally between the joint winners.

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