“The opportunity to explore culture, discover new places and ways of understanding each other leaps off the pages of these shortlisted titles”. Victoria Dilly, SLA CEO
Today the School Library Association (SLA) announces the shortlist titles for the Information Book Award (IBA). This year’s shortlist includes a diverse range of non-fiction books that are sure to provide readers with new ways of looking at the world around them. The IBA, now in its 15th year, is sponsored by Hachette Children’s Group and Peters.
The panel of judges were impressed by the quality of entries and have narrowed the titles down to a shortlist of 12 books, across three age categories. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in November, which is set to be a true celebration of the wonderful world of children’s literature. Four Children’s Choice accolades, one in each age category and an overall winner, will be chosen by schools participating in the IBA Book Club. Last year’s overall Children’s Choice winner was Unspoken by Kwame Alexander.
Schools across the UK have been signing up to join the IBA Book Club and there’s still time for more schools to get involved and vote for their favourite books. Thanks to funding from the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) 90 schools that signed up to the IBA Book Club early will receive a free set of the shortlisted books in their chosen age category. Three schools will receive a Golden Bookmark, giving them the chance to record a video presenting one of the Children’s Choice awards, which will be played at the ceremony. All schools can purchase the shortlisted books at a discounted price from Peters.
Barbara Hayes, CEO at ALCS said: “We are thrilled to congratulate the shortlist for the 2025 Information Book Award. Information books are vital for engaging young readers and expanding their knowledge, and we are delighted that so many participating book club schools are receiving their choice of books.”
Clare Bowles, CEO at Peters said: “We’re pleased to see such an exciting line-up of shortlisted titles again this year, highlighting some of the brilliant information books being produced for children and young adults in the UK. Non-fiction can be a great way to get readers hooked – as there’s bound to be something for every pupil! It’s great to see coverage of such a wide range of topics, with everything from AI to art, philosophy to physics and more.”
The shortlisted books cover a diverse range of themes that will spark enjoyment and curiosity in children and young people. From exploring different cultures to managing emotions, how the world works to how others experience it. The 2025 IBA shortlist shows the endless possibilities for engagement with information books, spanning everything from burps to jellyfish and art to physics.
Victoria Dilly, CEO of the SLA said: “The titles on the shortlist represent how exciting and engaging reading information books can be for children across the age ranges. They cover everything from the animal kingdom to Ai, from the human body to the stoics, using engaging text and beautiful, bright illustrations to draw the reader in. For librarians and teachers these books offer an ideal route into reading and encouraging curiosity about the world we live in. The opportunity to explore culture, discover new places and ways of understanding each other leaps off the pages of these shortlisted titles. I feel excited for all the readers who will have access to these books through the IBA Book Club, thanks to our generous funders, they are all in for a treat.”
Key dates for the Information Book Awards and Book Club:
- Throughout the summer: schools can still register to take part in the IBA Book Club. The School Library Association will launch free resources to help all schools facilitate their book clubs
- Ongoing:Schools can share Book Club activities on social media using #IBABookClub
- 18th October:Children’s Choice vote closes
- 27th November: Awards Ceremony at Hachette HQ in London – by invitation only
The IBA Shortlist for each age category is as follows:
Age 0-7 (4 books)
- Along Came A … Burp!, Saskia Gwinn, illustrated by Paula Bowles (Templar Books)
- Me and My Hair, Kimberley Kinloch, illustrated by Jessica Gibson (Usborne)
- This Book Will Make You an Artist, Ruth Millington, illustrated by Ellen Surrey (Nosy Crow)
- What is AI?, Neal Layton (Hodder Children’s Books, Hachette Children’s Group)
The Judges feedback:
Along Came A … Burp by Saskia Gwinn is an ingeniously presented book allows readers to absorb scientific facts about the human body without even realising they are learning.
Me and My Hair by Kimberley Kinloch is a thoughtful combination of a history of Black hairstyles, a showcase of the versatility and beauty of Black hair and a celebration of all hair types.
This Book Will Make You an Artist by Ruth Millington is a gorgeous book perfectly pitched for this age group and highlights a diverse range of fascinating and highly appealing artists.
What is AI? by Neal Layton is an entertaining and informative first look at AI for Key stage 1 pupils. The illustrations and words combine to present the topic in an unexpected and different format.
Age 8-12 (4 books)
- Amazing Asia, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Jason Lyon (Quarto)
- How to Walk on the Moon and Other Incredible Ideas About Physics, William Potter, illustrated by Richard Watson (Arcturus Publishing)
- Inside Story: How the News Works, ITN Productions, illustrated by Terri Po (Templar Books)
- The Jellyfish Garden: Explore their Curious World, Paola Vitale, illustrated by Rossana Bossù (Post Wave Children’s Books)
The Judges feedback:
Amazing Asia by Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a gorgeous book that strikes a perfect balance between a wealth of information and beautiful aesthetics, exploring everything from food to landscapes, innovations to famous faces.
How to Walk on the Moon by William Potter If you have a physics question, this book is the place to find the answer. Using a mixture of comic strip and written explanations is has undeniable appeal to those in upper primary school.
Inside Story: How the News Works by Jane Marlow is a fantastic deep dive into the nuts and bolts of news. Packed with information and covering serious ground including a history of the news, citizen journalism and future of news.
The Jellyfish Garden: Explore their Curious World by Paola Vitale tells you things about jellyfish that you never thought you needed to know and can be read from cover to cover or at random, with intricately imagined diagrams and illustrations.
Age 13-16 (4 books)
- Black History for Every Day of the Year, David and Yinka Olusoga, illustrated by Kemi Olusoga (Macmillan Children’s Books)
- The History of Information, Chris Haughton with Loonie Park (DK Children’s)
- Queerbook, Malcom Mackenzie, illustrated by Emily A. Foster, cover illustrated by Madelén Foss (Red Shed, Farshore)
- Seriously HAPPY, Ben Aldridge (Quarto)
The Judges feedback:
Black History for Every Day of the Year by David and Yinka Olusoga is uniquely accessible and readable for ages 13 to adult with a bite-sized factual story for each day of the year, often illustrated, spanning historical events and biographies up to the present day.
The History of Information by Chris Haughton gives a better understanding of why the world is the way it is; how our future is being shape by AI; and the changes we ALL need to make for the sake of our collective futures.
Queerbook by Malcolm Mackenzie is a joyful deep dive into gay culture. From top LGBTQ+ TV shows to ‘setting straight’ key terms, this cultural guide offers a plethora of starting points for further exploration.
Seriously Happy by Ben Aldridge is a fun book explaining popular philosophy in 10 lessons that teenagers will love. It explains complicated theories from Aristotle to Zen in a simple way with the aim of building confidence in the reader.
The School Library Association annual awards rely entirely on sponsor funding and the SLA is grateful to all the sponsors, past and present, without whom these awards would not be possible.
