Tree Thing, illustrated by Matthew Taylor Wilson, has won the Wolverhampton Children’s Book Award 2025/6
Established and run by Wolverhampton Grammar School eight years ago, the Wolverhampton Children’s Book Award continues to celebrate the best children’s books published in the preceding twelve months. It remains an opportunity for children in Years 5-8 to read a range of fiction, and to nominate new books which they have enjoyed reading.
Both the longlist and shortlist of books are chosen by young people from schools across the region. The purpose of the Wolverhampton Children’s Book Award is not only to celebrate children’s literature but to promote reading for pleasure and to reinforce the importance of fiction.
Children from across Wolverhampton voted for the 2025/26 shortlisted titles, which encompassed a fantasy adventure inspired by Irish folklore; thrilling animal adventures inspired by a beloved children’s classic; a celebration of the warmth, memories and bonds shared between children and ageing relatives; and a celebration of bravery, hope and the marvels of the natural world. All four books have left an indelible emotional mark on, and brought joy and pleasure to, their readers.
The four shortlisted authors were Sophie Kirtley for Swanfall; M. G. Leonard for The Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales from the Wind in the Willows; Onjali Q. Raúf for The Game I Will Never Forget; and Piers Torday for Tree Thing.