Est. 1983. Not-for-profit children’s booksellers celebrating equality, inclusion & diversity. Schools/EY supplier. Co-runs Little Rebels Award. Workers’ Cooperative. www.letterboxlibrary.com #kidlituk #ukkidlit
Continuing Our Series #LittleRebelsAwardHighlights2026 A picture book which “bravely explores family breakdown & implied domestic violence through a child’s voice”. We may be on hiatus but we’re still here to share the best of 2025’s social justice books. Next Up: OUR DANCE #KidLitUK #BookSky
“We write with deep concern regarding the rollback in inclusive representation within the UK children’s publishing industry.” #KidLitUK Open letter to sign: docs.google.com/document/d/1...?
Open Letter to the UK KidLit IndustryIf you’d like to add your name to this open letter, fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/7rNoHUcRvBpBrczH6 Open Letter to the UK KidLit Industry We write with deep concern regarding the rollb...docs.google.comLetterbox Library Recommends We Are Family: Beyond Queer Parents Our 3rd Recommend column is out in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social 🌈lgbtq+ extended family members in UK picture books🌈 See a teaser on our Insta (grid image ⬇️) ➡️Read the full article: booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/lett... #KidLitUK
1/2 “It may be churlish to look a gift horse in the mouth. It is downright irresponsible to fail to investigate potential Trojan horses.” A highly considered piece from @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social which brings together- #KidLitUK booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keepsbooksforkeeps.co.ukRemind yourselves of quite how brilliant this #LittleRebelsAward Queer Coming of Age shortlisted title is ➡️ www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page... @sflayzell.bsky.social #KidLitUK
COTTONOPOLIS | Letterbox Libraryby S F Layzell Shortlisted Little Rebels Award 2025 [Cottonopolis: 19th-century nickname for Manchester, then the centre of the cotton industry.]A short and pacy chapter book set in the slums of 1840...www.letterboxlibrary.comThe @theclpe.bsky.social , with over 50 years experience:”we have seen time & again how important a culture of Reading for Pleasure is in engaging children in broader learning opportunities and experiences” See their #PowerOfReading impact report. Essential reading/training for teachers 🙂 #KidLitUK
CLPEHow does a curriculum built with the Power of Reading develop children's language and imagination for writing? Discover more insights from the 2025-26 Impact Report: https://clpe.org.uk/news/discover-impact-power-reading-teachers-and-children
U.S. threat to introduce National Book Ban “understood by freedom to read advocates as attacks on civil rights and on the representation and existence of LGBTQ+ individuals” #BookBans www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
National Book Ban Bill Introduced in Senate CommitteeThe equivalent of House Bill 7661, Senate Bill 4925 seeks to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit funding for school books and other resources said to contain “sexually...www.publishersweekly.com“A lovely, well-meaning endeavour that, for me and many others working in children’s literature and education, completely missed the mark.” 💯 Thoughtful comment piece from @clairelinney.bsky.social #KidLitUK www.thebookseller.com/comment/a-pr...
A problematic giftQueen Camilla’s book initiative is well-intentioned but completely misses the markwww.thebookseller.com…and look! More @empathylabuk.bsky.social synching! Here’s Kristina Rahim with her book choice…. by @amdassu.bsky.social See why we also love it: www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page... AND it’s a @littlerebsprize.bsky.social shortlistee 🙂 #KidLitUK
FIGHT BACK | Letterbox Libraryby A. M. Dassu Shortlisted Little Rebels Award 2023"It was the same old story- make up hateful things about the people you don't like so you can attack their identities and create division and fear."A...www.letterboxlibrary.comEmpathyLabUK⭐️ Empathy Bookshelf ⭐️ A favourite chosen by Kristina Rahim, 'Fight Back' by A.M. Dassu. ⚡️ You can catch up with our Spark Empathy with Kristina Rahim and Ian Eagleton, over on our website and explore and celebrate families of all kinds - available until end of July empathylab.uk/empathy-day-...
We love how often the books we adore overlap with @empathylabuk.bsky.social ‘s choices ! Here @ianeagletonauthor.bsky.social chooses ….. See our review here: www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page... @sufiyaahmed.bsky.social #KidLitUK
ESCAPE FROM THE CHILD SNATCHERS | Letterbox Libraryby Sufiya Ahmed “Remember what I told you, the streets of London are not paved with gold. There are hidden corners full of darkness from were monsters emerge. You must always be vigilant.” An energet...www.letterboxlibrary.comEmpathyLabUK⭐️ Empathy Bookshelf ⭐️ A favourite chosen by Ian Eagleton, 'Escape from the Child Snatchers' by Sufiya Ahmed.
This is a nice gesture but it won’t be a shared experience for Year 6s who are not at the necessary reading level, who don’t like fantasy, or who can’t see themselves reflected in this book. Why not have a choice and celebrate all readers and multiple quality authors?
National Literacy Trust📚Some good news! 📚 Every Year 6/P6 child across the UK will receive a copy of ‘Impossible Creatures’ by Katherine Rundell this Christmas.
“The first collections attacked are those in the Children’s and Youth areas of the library; the figleaf excuse most often used is… The censorship of public librarians within Reform UK run councils. A helpful summary from Teen Librarian- #KidLitUK #BookBans teenlibrarian.co.uk/2026/07/19/r...
Reform UK and Public LibrariesReform UK, also known as the Reform Party, is a right-wing populist and far-right political party in the United Kingdom. Reform has an outright majority in 24 councils across Great Britain and is t…teenlibrarian.co.uk1/2”We are increasingly concerned about the censorship of authors and their books in this way” @societyofauthors.bsky.social UK lgbtq+ creatives face cancelled school visits or withdrawal of pupils prompted by parental pressure &through the “misuse” of schools’ lesson exceptions powers. #KidLitUK
The BooksellerAuthors 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 👇
In the same ‘disability takeover’ issue of @thebookseller.com author Rebecca Atkinson on the need for “tactile literacy” in children’s books. #KidLitUK #BookSky
The Bookseller“When so much content today is consumed through the flat swipe of glass, children are experiencing a tactile deficit. The publishing sector has the chance to counter that.” Read our interview with Rebecca Atkinson. 👇