"The opportunity to explore culture, discover new places and ways of understanding each other leaps off the pages of these shortlisted titles"
We are so pleased to announce the shortlisted titles for the Information Book Award (IBA). This year’s shortlist includes a diverse range of information books that are sure to provide readers with new ways of looking at the world around them.
Our panel of expert judges narrowed the 34 longlisted titles down to a shortlist of 12 books, across three age categories. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in November when four Children’s Choice accolades, one in each age category and an overall winner, will also be awarded by schools participating in the IBA Book Club. Last year’s overall Children’s Choice winner was Unspoken by Kwame Alexander.
Kwame Alexander receiving his Children's Choice award at the 2024 IBA ceremony
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.”
The 2025 Information Book Award Shortlist is:
Age 0-7 titles:
•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)
Some of the judges' feedback: Along Came A … Burp
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 titles:
•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)
Some of 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 titles:
•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)
Some of 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.
Schools across the UK have been signing up to join the IBA Book Club and there’s still time for you to get involved and vote for your pupils' 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 will have access to free downloadable resources related to the IBA Book Club, and can purchase the shortlisted books at a discounted price from Peters: peters.co.uk/iba
Founded to help school libraries celebrate the value of non-fiction books, the Information Book Award is now in its 15th year. It is sponsored by Hachette Children's Group and Peters, with funding for the IBA Book Club coming fromthe Authors Licensing and Collecting Society.
