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letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
Letterbox Library
@letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
1.5K followers 330 following 500 posts
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
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Letterbox Library
booksforkeeps.bsky.social
The NEW #BooksforKeeps Book of the Week comes highly recommended. Don't miss THE MISADVENTURES OF MINA MAHMOOD SCHOOL INSPECTORS - highly entertaining & lots that young readers and their teachers will recognise #booksky #KidLitUK @farshorebooks.bsky.social

booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/the-m...
Graphic with the cover of The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood School Inspectors by Farhana Islam, illustration by Simran Diamond Singh, published by Farshore. It is the new Books for Keeps Book of the Week.
January 25, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
michaelrosenyes.bsky.social
26 minutes of funny, odd, intriguing and wordplay poems to share with children
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2z_...
Michael Rosen Funny Poems | Kids Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen
YouTube video by Kids’ Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:53 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
In N America- @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social have initiated Unbanned Book Network, designed to “combat censorship by providing under-resourced schools with diverse titles by banned diverse authors”.

20 schools set to receive over 100 books + more🙂
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/newsbrief...
#KidLitUK
We Need Diverse Books Announces ‘Unbanned’ Initiative
The children’s literature nonprofit has launched the Unbanned Book Network, which will provide 20 under-resourced schools, including in the book banning hotspots of Texas and Florida, with diverse tit...
www.publishersweekly.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:59 AM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
“The work of ensuring inclusion requires critically reflective, deep and sustained effort to ensure a long term systemically integrated approach.”

Farrah Serroukh @theclpe.bsky.social pulls out highlights of the most recent #ReflectingRealities report

booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/all-...
#KidLitUK
All We Need is Love (and a continued commitment to inclusive literature) – Books For Keeps
booksforkeeps.co.uk
January 23, 2026 at 6:53 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
tesmagazine.bsky.social
With the government considering a ban on children using social media, @cerysturner.bsky.social investigates the impact it could have on schools around the country
Would an under-16s social media ban help schools?
The government is considering restricting or banning children’s use of social media. How might this impact schools?
www.tes.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
thebookseller.com
Discover Children’s Story Centre in East London has announced a "major expansion" during the National Year of Reading 2026 👇 #BookSky
Discover Children’s Story Centre announces 'major expansion' for UK’s longest-running story centre
ebx.sh
January 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
“The fact that the effects of this decision will be felt by Wales’ most vulnerable children is heartbreaking."(Nicola Davies)

Welsh government cease funding for @booktrust.org.uk Cymru.

www.bookbrunch.co.uk/page/article...
Article detail
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www.bookbrunch.co.uk
January 22, 2026 at 6:37 AM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
The longlist for the one-of-its-kind #BranfordBoaseAward is out! ⬇️
#KidLitUK
branfordboaseaward.bsky.social Branford Boase Award @branfordboaseaward.bsky.social · 5d
We are pleased to announce the longlist for the 2026 #BranfordBoase Award, recognising the year's outstanding debut writers for children AND their editors 👏#kidlit #booksky

Thank you to @alcs.co.uk & @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social for their support.

branfordboaseaward.org.uk/2026-longlist/
Graphic showing the longlist for the 2026 Branford Boase Award. Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, edited by Rosie Fickling (David Fickling Books) Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread by Penny Boxall, edited by Katie Sinfield (Puffin) Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, edited by Lucy Courtenay (Farshore) The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren, edited by Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett (Hot Key Books) Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley, edited by Cathy Liney (Bloomsbury) How to Roller Skate with One Leg by Ella Dove, illus by Jennifer Jamieson, edited by Anne Marie Ryan (Orchard Books) The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni, edited by Asmaa Isse (Electric Monkey) Grumpfort by Jamie Hammond, ed Sarah Stewart (Usborne) The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, edited by Ruth Bennett (Bonnier) Evie and Maryam's Family Tree by Janeen Hayat, ed by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books) The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam, e by Asmaa Isse (Farshore) Love on Sight by Asli Jensen, ed Shalini Vallepur (Chicken House) Inkbound by Philippa Leathley, ed Natalie Doherty (HarperCollins Children’s Books) Gloam by Jack Mackay, ed Katie Jennings (Rock the Boat) A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Miranda Moore, ed Meggie Degurney & Liz Cross (David Fickling Books) Wildlands by Brogen Murphy, ed Linas Alsenas (Puffin) Rock Band Music and Misfits by Leah Osakwe, ed by Mattie Whitehead & Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger) Marty Moose: First Class by Claire Powell,ed Gráinne Clear (Walker Books) The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim, edited Zoë Griffiths (Nosy Crow) The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Zephyr) Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds, edited by Amina Parchment-Youssef (Penguin) The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn, edited by Emma Jones and Charlie Castelletti (First Ink) Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, edited by Natasha Brown and Jenny Glencross (Faber) My Dog by Olivia Wakeford, edited by Megan Reid (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
January 22, 2026 at 6:35 AM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
1/2 📣Teachers (UK):

We have Wednesday 28th January all mapped out for you.

MORNING
At 11am join #BookTrustRepresents virtual Wkshop with super MG author @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social
Register for free below ⬇️⬇️⬇️
booktrust.org.uk BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 16d
📣 Your chance to bring an author into your classroom!

Our next #BookTrustRepresents virtual workshop is on Wednesday 28 January with the amazing @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social, author of Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past.

Register for free 👇

https://bit.ly/4svETHm
January 20, 2026 at 1:54 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
From a Prince in Pink to a purple-maned unicorn, wise words as ever from author @shannonhale.bsky.social on book bans & (I’ve always loved how she writes about this-) boys reading female characters.
#KidLitUK

pen.org/shannon-hale...
‘I Never Saw That Coming’: Shannon Hale Couldn’t Believe Her Children’s Book About a Unicorn Was Tossed Off Shelves
Author Shannon Hale: "We don’t need to shy away from the fact that all people (and unicorns! and kitties!) have bottoms."
pen.org
January 20, 2026 at 1:45 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
In the latest @booksforkeeps.bsky.social -

Delighted to see one of our reviewers, school librarian Fiona Kirk, sharing her experience of Poetry by Heart, the National poetry speaking competition.
#KidLitUK

booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/brin...
Bring poetry into the heart of your school this National Year of Reading – Books For Keeps
booksforkeeps.co.uk
January 20, 2026 at 1:43 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
“Crucially, Amir’s moment of self-actualisation is not straightforwardly assimilationist” @darrenchetty.bsky.social on Sita Brahmachari’s Phoenix Brothers in @writersmosaic.bsky.social

Refs “its many layers and what it suggests about literature and education”

writersmosaic.org.uk/reviews/phoe...
Phoenix Brothers | WritersMosaic Magazine
Darren Chetty reviews Sita Brahmachari's novel Pheonix Brothers, an inspiring tale of resilience, survival and family.
writersmosaic.org.uk
January 19, 2026 at 7:10 AM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
I’ve been catching up this last month with @laurahallain.bsky.social ‘s author/illustrator interview series over at @mywordsmybook.bsky.social

Dive in to hear the journeys creatives have taken and to discover recent book highlights. ⬇️
#KidLitUK
mywordsmybook.bsky.social mywordsmybook.bsky.social @mywordsmybook.bsky.social · Jun 30
In this episode, Chitra also talks about her career as an author and the importance of positive representation in children’s books.

🎬Watch and/or listen:

🍎Apple: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

🎧Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2tE1...

📺YouTube: open.spotify.com/episode/2tE1...

#Kidlit
January 19, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
michaelrosenyes.bsky.social
If schools are marking Holocaust Memorial Day, can I offer my 4 books? 'The Missing' (memoir), 'On the Move' (poems) , 'One Day' (picture book) and 'Please Write Soon' (fiction as letters based on my father and his cousin). And video of 'The Missing'
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iR_...
The Missing | Kids Poems and Stories with Michael Rosen
YouTube video by Kids’ Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen
www.youtube.com
January 18, 2026 at 3:31 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
Lots of pretty brilliant happenings for this year’s #NationalYearOfReading

And this is one of them⬇️
#KidLitUK
amdassu.bsky.social A. M. Dassu (Az) @amdassu.bsky.social · 16d
ANNOUNCEMENT: 2026 is the National Year of Reading and that’s why I’m introducing my ONE MINUTE INTERVIEW series.

I thought about how I might encourage reading and engage readers and how to make the process more fun. More below: 1/
January 16, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
gitaralleigh.bsky.social
Super thrilled at this lovely news!! My children’s poetry collection has been shortlisted by the wonderful @theemmapress.bsky.social
🥰 #ukpoets #poetrysky #kidlituk #ukkidlit
theemmapress.bsky.social The Emma Press @theemmapress.bsky.social · 11d
Announcing the Longlisted and Shortlisted proposals from our August 2025 submissions call out! 📣

Thank you to all the writers for trusting us with your work!🩷

Read more about our Longlisted and Shortlisted titles here: buff.ly/YaoW7n9
January 14, 2026 at 5:35 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
It’s out! The latest Books for Keeps. Looks dreamy😍- esp excited about diving into pieces by Farrah Serroukh @theclpe.bsky.social @charliehacking.bsky.social @bexlibrarian.bsky.social and those fab BtSG columnists @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social
Also front cover🍩🍩🍩!
#KidLitUK
booksforkeeps.bsky.social Books for Keeps, the children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 10d
Out now! BfK276, our first of 2026: Authorgraph interview with Neill Cameron, Alea Marley's Windows into Illustration, new Beyond the Secret Garden, predictions for the coming year & Barry Cunningham reflects on 50 years in children's books🤯#booksky #KidLit

booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk-27...
Cover of the new issue of children's books review journal Books for Keeps. Artwork from Neill Cameron's new Donut Squad book. It is gloriously jam coloured with a host of animated donuts. Text reads Author interview Neill Cameron Windows into Illustration Alea Marley plus New Year Predictions and Barry Cunningham looks back.
January 16, 2026 at 11:54 AM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
We have been busy tidying up our grid on Insta so that all our most important features ☺️-
⭐️our review process
⭐️our selection process
⭐️our review team
- can be easily accessed.

(Plus they’re just much neater/aligned now which makes me happy)

Pop over!
➡️ www.instagram.com/letterbox_li...
#KidLitUJ
January 15, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
booksforkeeps.bsky.social
Congratulations Jamila Gavin, winner of the 2025 Nero Book Award children's fiction category for MY SOUL, A SHINING TREE @farshorebooks.bsky.social. "An exceptionally powerful story".

Find out more in the @nicolettejones.bsky.social interview with Jamila. #KidLitUK #booksky

bit.ly/3LyJSq7
Graphic with the logo Winner Nero Book Awards 2025, a photograph of Jamila Gavin and the cover of her winning book, My Soul, A Shining Tree.
January 14, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
jonnybid.bsky.social
It might not be out for a few months but this is a very exciting development!
January 14, 2026 at 7:56 PM
letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
Oof.
Leeds Libraries Book Awards MG shortlist looking mighty fine. And a double hit for @piccadilly-press.bsky.social
Congrats @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social @niylafarook.bsky.social
Pil Van Martin
#KidLitUK
A poster image for the books shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards. Award logo is an owl in top right corner. Grey/teal background. 3 book covers: Nate Yu’s Blast From the Past Murder for Two The Spick and the Span Reads ‘middle grade fiction’ underneath. Bottom right are logos for Leeds Libraries and Leeds School Library Service.
January 15, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
bloomsburynews.bsky.social
“The heroes and heroines must never give up hope in a story”

Read our interview with @sufiyaahmed.bsky.social, author of historical fiction about brave South Asian and Muslim children caught in the machinery of war.

🔗 www.bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/...
November 4, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
andrewmoffat.bsky.social
The No Outsiders assembly this week is about Mubinul opening his shop on Christmas day to give free food to vulnerable people. Fantastic opportunity for schools to explore respect for different religion and community cohesion. Assembly plan here no-outsiders-assembly.blogspot.com/2026/01/fish...
Fish and Chips
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/reason-liverpool-chippy-staying-open-33113618?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPLCw9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQ...
no-outsiders-assembly.blogspot.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
jonnybid.bsky.social
Do take a look at this @booktrust.org.uk Represents programme, with free virtual author workshops for Years 3-7. There are four fantastic events coming up over the next few months, and it only takes a minute to register.
www.booktrust.org.uk/how-we-help/...
January 11, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Letterbox Library
booksforkeeps.bsky.social
We find out the category winners of the #nerobookawards tomorrow, 14 January, including the winner of the children's fiction award. Got a favourite? Excited to have interviews with all four shortlisted authors ⬇️ #KidLitUK #booksky

bit.ly/4qNMkIg
January 13, 2026 at 11:32 AM