TSL EDI Special Edition

TSL

The School Librarian

The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association

EDI Special Edition Autumn 2025

Stories That Reflect Every Child

By Ayesha Ansari

Safe, Seen and Valued: Creating Space for

Disability Representation

By Kerrie Nicholson

Writing a Place for Everyone

By Ayaan Mohamud

www.sla.org.uk

Contents

TSL

The School Librarian

The Quarterly Journal of the School Library Association

EDI Special Edition Autumn 2025

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Special

Note From the Editor 1

Welcome from Penguin Random House 3

Why We Are Doing This 4

Features

Safe, Seen and Valued: Creating Space for Disability Representation

Kerrie Nicholson 6


Ayesha Ansari 8

Honouring Writers and Illustrators of Colour with the Jhalak Prize

Sunny Singh 10

The Room Where It Happens: Promoting Diversity Through

Fiction in the Sixth Form Library

Olivia Edmonds 11


Ayaan Mohamud 12

Developing Diverse School Libraries with the

Lit in Colour (Incomplete) Book Lists 14

Challenges in Libraries: Three Years On

Alice Leggatt 16

Inclusive titles recommended by...

Ian Eagleton 18

Simon James Green 19

Julian Sedgwick 20

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé 21

Book Reviews

7 and Under 22

8-12 23

13-16 24

17-19 25

Professional 26

Closing Thoughts from the SLA 27

6

Safe, Seen and Valued:

Creating Space for

Disability Representation

8

Stories That Reflect

Every Child

12

Writing a Place for

Everyone

Note From the Editor

It still blows my mind that I am writing

this as the Editor of this special edition,

one that feels both timely and deeply

important in the conversations it seeks

to spark. The whole experience of

putting this together has been not only

surreal but also so enlightening and inspiring on

every step of the journey. I hope you find this issue

and its contents to be informative, supportive and

challenging. My aim was to create a one stop shop

about all things EDI for those working in school

libraries and I sincerely hope I’ve achieved that.

It may seem strange that I – a 40 year old white

woman – am positioning myself as having

authority on this subject, but I want to be clear that

this isn't my intention. This issue has been edited

through my perspective, and a single viewpoint is

never the right approach to EDI. Progress comes

when everyone examines these issues from their

own perspective, building shared understanding

that leads to genuine collective insight.

My passion for all things EDI came from my time in

the education sector. Spending most of my teaching

and librarian life working with young people from

ethnic minorities showed me more than I could

have ever imagined, and I can take it all back to one

memory. My NQT year, facing a fearsome Year 11

class at an all-girls school. We’d had a bumpy start to

the academic year to say the least but one day, they

asked me what I was doing for Eid.

Not only did learning about my

students’ backgrounds allow me to

understand several of the issues they

were facing on a day-to-day basis,

but it also made me begin to consider

the concept of equality, diversity and

inclusion on a much wider scale.

My response? "What’s Eid?"

Their response? Raucous laughter.

My class couldn't believe that I didn't know what

Eid was, when it was such an essential part of

their lives, and as they continued to “test” me on

other key words related to their faith, I continued

to show my lack of knowledge. In short, I had the

shocking realisation that I didn’t know my students

as well as I thought.

So, the work began.

Not only did learning about my students’

backgrounds allow me to understand several of the

issues they were facing on a day-to-day basis, but

it also made me begin to consider the concept of

equality, diversity and inclusion on a much wider

scale. I looked at what I was teaching. I looked

at our schemes of work. I looked at our Library.

Where was the valuable representation that our

students so needed? Not just for those from ethnic

minorities, but what about those students with

disabilities? Neurodiverse students? Or those

that identify as LGBTQIA+? Where could they see

people like them achieving their goals and living

their best lives? Action was definitely needed.

I took this essential knowledge forward

throughout my teaching and into my Library

career, especially in collection management and

Library outreach across my establishment. But

even so many years since that first interaction with

Year 11, there is so much that still needs doing

across the education sector and far beyond, as

well as within my own knowledge.

Whether you are just starting out, looking to

learn more and move forward or advancing your

knowledge to an even higher level, the only way

we can make long term sustainable change is

together. Be it to give credit to those whose lived

experiences give us the opportunity to educate;

to read and encourage reading from different

experiences, identities and values and consider

who is producing the content we promote; or to

acknowledge that Librarianship is a very whitecentred

sector and it is in the best interests of all of

us, as well as those we support, to show that it can

be a valid career path for anybody – we all have a

part to play, however big or small that might be.

Olivia Edmonds is the

Editor for this special

issue. She currently serves

as an Academic Liaison

Librarian at the University

of Wales Trinity St David

(Birmingham). Before this,

she enjoyed a rich career as

a Secondary English teacher

for over 10 years and served

as a Learning Resources

Manager at a Sixth Form

College for six years. She is

active on social media

@MissOliviaReads.

TSL EDI SPECIAL AUTUMN 2025 1

The effect of studying a text by an author of colour:

The Lit in Colour Pioneers Pilot

Read the

report here:

The effect of studying a text by an author of colour: the Lit in

Colour Pioneers Pilot, is a first-of-its-kind study commissioned

in partnership with exam board Pearson. II was carried out

by researchers at the University of Oxford's Department of

Education in collaboration with The Runnymede Trust. It shows

a positive picture of how systemic change at assessment

level is achievable through a targeted programme of support

for schools. Teachers and students refer to the 'life changing'

impact on engagement with the introduction of Boys Don't

Cry by Malorie Blackman, The Empress by Tanika Gupta and

Refugee Boy by Lemn Sissay and other texts by writers of colour,

alongside greater levels of empathy and understanding.

Since 2021, over 250 schools and 29,000 students have been

supported by the initiative with targeted support provided

by publishers including Penguin Books, Bloomsbury,

HarperCollins, Hachette, Nick Hern Books, Serpent's Tail and

Concord Theatricals Ltd.

Diversifying the curriculum is important for all students. All

students need to be prepared to live in the diverse multicultural

society that is Britain today, and a diverse literary diet helps to

nurture that.

Illustrations: Taaryn Branch

Lit in (u-qp..___

Commissioned by:

@Pearson

in collaborallon with:

Welcome from

Penguin Random House

About Lit in Colour

The Lit in Colour campaign was

created in 2020 by Penguin Books

UK as a long-term social impact

programme to support UK schools

to make the teaching and learning

of English Literature more inclusive

of authors of colour. The aim was to

find innovative and practical ways

to give schools the support and tools

they need to introduce more books by

people of colour into the classroom, for

all ages.

Together with principal partner

The Runnymede Trust, the UK’s

leading race equality think tank,

the campaign published research

in 2021 which uncovered that just

0.7% of GCSE students in England

studied a book by an author of colour,

despite 34.4% of students identifying

as Black, Asian or minority ethnic.

The research highlighted a complex

range of barriers were causing this

underrepresentation- including

teachers’ limited resources and time,

as well as a lack of subject knowledge

and confidence in talking about race

and representation in the classroom.

Since then, the campaign has been

working with exam boards, publishers,

education platforms, teachers, charities

and other organisations to facilitate

meaningful change. This includes free

book donations, training for teachers

and librarians, producing resources

and author events.

Lit in Colour

book packs

from Peters

Books

Lit in Colour book packs are available

from Peters Books. These include a

selection of titles from across the Lit in

Colour book lists to support schools to

access more books by writers of colour –

providing 20% off RRP.

To find out more and purchase your own

Lit in Colour book packs, visit

Peters.co.uk/lit-in-colour.

Download your free (incomplete)

Lit in Colour book lists now

Created annually since 2021, The (incomplete)

Lit in Colour book lists respond to one of the key

findings in the original research which found that

teachers often struggle finding books by authors of

colour. Each list brings together over 100 titles from

Penguin and other publishers, showcasing new

and classic texts by authors of colour. The lists are

called ‘incomplete’ because they will never manage

to be exhaustive or definitive, and are updated

annually underscoring the range of texts that are

available to take into the classroom.

Contributions to TSL

Articles, books or digital media for review are always

welcome. We are happy to receive enquiries from

potential contributors and will be pleased to supply

further information. Email: tsl@sla.org.uk

For media rates and advertising enquiries, please contact

Bourne Media on mark@bourne-media.co.uk or 07771

881251. All other communications should be sent to:

info@sla.org.uk We are always keen for feedback.

TSL Subscriptions

The current cost of annual membership of the School Library

Association is £120.00 to include one copy of each quarterly

journal, TSL, or £160.00 to include two copies. The rate for

retired and fulltime student members is £63.00. Details and

membership forms may be obtained from the SLA website.

Members of the SLA receive this journal free; they may

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at reduced rates; and may use our telephone advisory

service and access members-only resources on the website.

Worldwide institutional subscriptions to the journal only are

available at £154.00 for the calendar year 2025.

The School Librarian is published by: The School Library Association, 1 Pine Court, Kembrey Park, Swindon, SN2 8AD

Telephone: 01793 530166 Website: www.sla.org.uk Email: info@sla.org.uk

Cover illustration shows Lit in Colour books from 2024. Copyright © 2025 School Library Association. All rights reserved. ISSN 0036 6595

The views expressed are those of the contributors and reviewers and not necessarily the official views of the School Library Association.

Registered Charity No. 313660


Feature

Why We Are Doing This

Olivia Edmonds

Recent research highlights exactly why we should be paying

attention to diversity, equality and inclusion in our libraries.

A

s librarians, we face daily

challenges around the lack of

representation in the fiction

our young people read. It's

important to recognise this

as a major issue across the

wider sector and, arguably,

society as a whole. Research

into this area is extensive, and

it's important to stay aware of

the latest findings if we wish to

remedy this gap.

CLPE Reflecting

Realities

https://clpe.org.uk/research/

reflecting-realities

• For the first time in its history, the

2024 CLPE Reflecting Realities

survey reported an overall

drop in the percentage

of racially minoritised

characters featured in

published children’s books

reviewed – from 30% in 2022

to 17% in 2023.

• The report showed the number of

racially minoritised main

characters dropped by half to

7% in 2023, compared to 14%

in 2022.

• The 7th CLPE report called for

renewed commitment from the

publishing industry in improving

the volume and quality of

inclusive output, alongside

a review of practices and

investment.

For the first time in its history, the

2024 CLPE Reflecting Realities

survey reported an overall drop in

the percentage of racially minoritised

characters featured in published

children’s books reviewed.

4 TSL EDI SPECIAL AUTUMN 2025

Why We Are Doing This

Lit in Colour

https://litincolour.penguin.co.uk/assets/Lit-in-Colourresearch-report.pdf

• Poetry is the most common way for secondary students to

encounter a Black, Asian or other minority ethnic author;

single poems are the easiest texts to insert into the curriculum.

• 82% of survey respondents did not recall ever studying a text

by a Black, Asian or minority ethnic author.

• 12% (secondary) and 13% (primary) of survey respondents

had training on how to talk about race as part of their initial

teacher training.

82% of survey

respondents

did not recall

ever studying

a text by a

Black, Asian

or minority

ethnic author.

Inviting and Inclusive

School Libraries

(Gloucestershire)

https://readforgood.org/libraries/

• Read for Good, in partnership with Gloucestershire

Libraries and inclusive book specialist Little Box of

Books, set out to reach more than 3,000 children in the

greatest need across Gloucestershire – supporting 15

primary schools to create inviting and inclusive library

spaces that empower all children to see themselves in

stories and discover their own love of reading.

• In total, the 15 primary schools received 4,500 brandnew

books, including 1,500 specially curated inclusive

titles. Gloucestershire Libraries provided each

primary school with 2–3 days of specialist, bespoke inperson

support. This included removing inaccurate

and outdated books – including books containing

harmful stereotypes – and organising book collections

and spaces to create “welcoming” libraries.

• The project changed children’s reading habits. 100%

of respondents said that as a result of the project,

children across the school were enjoying reading

more. 100% of respondents said that as a result of

the project, children across the school were reading

more frequently. Significantly, the project changed the

reading habits of children who don’t normally choose

to read. 85% of schools told us the new books and

comics had encouraged ‘reluctant readers’ to read more.

University of

Manchester

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/

about/news/diversity-of-ukspopulation-is-not-reflected-inschool-library-books

• Despite 33.5% of the school population

in the UK originating from ethnic

minority backgrounds, only 7% of all

children’s books published in the UK

between 2017 and 2019 contained

characters from such cultures, and only

5% contained Black, Asian or minority

ethnic main characters.

• Many of those surveyed felt that they

are not in a position to make positive

change due to budget constraints and

a lack of books containing minority

ethnic main characters in circulation,

or simply a lack of knowledge of where

to source such books that do exist.

• The researchers have called for

dedicated funding to be put aside to

help stock school libraries, whether

from central government or from

fundraising events. They also said

that schools should audit their current

position, as identifying gaps in their

collection may help them to advocate

for improvements.

Despite 33.5%

of the school

population

in the UK

originating from

ethnic minority

backgrounds,

only 7% of all

children’s books

published in

the UK between

2017 and 2019

contained

characters from

such cultures.


Feature

Safe, Seen and Valued: Creating

Space for Disability Representation

Kerrie Nicholson

Kerrie Nicholson reminds us of the importance and the

practicalities of creating a library that is a vibrant, stimulating

and ultimately enriching space for the disabled community.

Kerrie Nicholson is a theatre

writer and host and creator of

the Wheelie Stagey podcast.

She is a passionate advocate

for disability representation,

especially in relation to

accessibility. In her spare time,

Kerrie is also a self-confessed

huge bookworm.

I

n chapter two of A Curse So Dark

and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer wrote:

“Cerebral Palsy doesn’t mean my

curiosity is broken.”

Having my own disability reflected

candidly and near enough immediately

was a gamechanger, on the one hand because it

was such a rare occurrence in my reading, but

more potently, because it signified a shift.

All too often there’s a tendency to make the

disability the focal point of the narrative, and

indeed the character; we are not afforded the

same quality of storytelling and character

building as our non-disabled peers, and that gets

incredibly wearing and patronising, seeing the

same tropes around disability being churned out

time and again: how “brave”, or “inspirational”

we are simply for navigating our lives the way

everyone else does. There’s nothing inherently

wrong with either of those adjectives, but I find it

tiresome when disability becomes the character’s

only defining factor.

Changing this mindset and the industry isn’t

going to happen overnight, but the small, positive

steps we can make towards an equitable literary

landscape can start in the library.

To begin, I feel it’s important to note that disability

covers such a vast range of health conditions

that impact everyone differently. That might feel

daunting to begin with, as you might fear getting

things wrong (you probably will), but I think there’s

learning and value in that, too.

• Always amplify disabled voices: through the

books you have available that feature disability

and/or disabled characters, and by facilitating

conversations with disabled writers in any genre.

I find that representation still

has a long way to go.

The community is so vastly underrepresented

and having support and advocates in our

librarians and wider academic community will

strengthen the opportunities we have to share our

creativity and insight.

• Your non-disabled students might be sceptical

at first, or read something that features disability

in whatever form it takes and find they don’t

get it: encourage them anyway as reading about

people with different experiences to their own

will teach them lessons they can use inside and

outside of school.

The small, positive steps we can

make towards an equitable literary

landscape can start in the library.

• Learn how to frame discussions about disability

constructively; I think a vital element of that comes

from recognising you may not have the answers.

Reach out to the disabled community and talk to

them about your ideas and plans and how you

might want to work with them. Hearing from those

with authentic, lived experience of disability is one

of the strongest tools you can offer.

• Your disabled students could also potentially

recommend a book to their peers if you have a

book club or want to build on discussions they

might already be having in lessons. Some of

these discussions might become uncomfortable,

but when handled with tact and sensitivity, the

library can be a place where healthy discussion

thrives.

• Take care with the language used when talking

about disability: just as with other identity factors

like gender or ethnicity, what works for one

person may not work for another. Generally, the

consensus from the community centres around


Safe, Seen and Valued

Four Book Recommendations

On Disability

Catchpole, Lucy & George, Karen

Mama Car

Faber & Faber, 32pp, £7.99, 2024, 9780571377169

Wheelchair. Accessibility. Imagination

This is a joyful story based on the author’s own experiences.

The ‘Mama Car’ is a mother’s wheelchair; it has powers beyond imagination.

Everything is possible with the mama car; expeditions to the kitchen, to the bedroom

and beyond the confines of the house, are all possible with this wonderful vehicle. As

well as being a very practical mode of transport, for children with disabled parents,

a wheelchair is just completely normal. Hence it will be battered and bruised and

personalised with beautiful decorations. A book so full of empathy and love.

Sarah Seddon

Knox, Xena

Sh!t Bag

Hodder, 362pp, £8.99, 2023, 9781444972054

Ostomy. Illness. Community

Take care with the language used

when talking about disability: just as

with other identity factors like gender

or ethnicity, what works for one

person may not work for another.

avoiding ableist language, for example “wheelchair

bound” could become “wheelchair user” and so

forth. Always ask or research what the preferred

terminology is if you are unsure, and do your

utmost to avoid making assumptions.

• There must be an element of give and take when

fostering these relationships with the disabled

community, and an understanding that whilst we

are generally willing and happy to share our lived

experience, the onus should be shared between us

and the academic institution to both “do the work”.

We spend much of our lives educating people

and challenging people’s perceptions of us and

our capabilities, and that can be tiring, so share

that emotional load by being proactive in your

research, planning well and being mindful that

our time and energy has value. Collaborating with

patience, enthusiasm and commitment will help

ensure your library remains a vibrant, stimulating

and ultimately enriching space where the disabled

community feels safe, seen and valued by the

stories told, the people telling them and the spaces

they are shared in.

Freya, a sporty, popular sixth former collapses and wakes up in hospital

wearing an ostomy bag. (When the bowel is surgically shortened and solid waste can’t

exit in the usual way, a surgical opening called a “stoma” is created and a bag receives

the waste instead.) Freya hates her new reality and goes into denial, but when she’s sent

on an activity camp for young ostomy patients, she realizes she’s not alone, and finds

romance with a rugby player who convinces her to resume playing hockey. The author

has ostomy experience herself, and explains the practicalities and future options for the

condition. A sharp, funny book that addresses a hidden issue.

Anna Quick

Peacock, Jonnie

You Can Do Anything!

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 240pp, £9.99, 2024, 9781526677037

Resilience. Confidence. Empowerment

Paralympian Jonnie Peacock shares his story, setbacks and strengths

in this guide and journal, filled with plenty of practical tips for reaching your goals.

Chapters include how to get out of your comfort zone; get the best from working

in a team and be happy being uniquely you. Written in collaboration with children’s

mental health expert Laura Earnshaw, the book aims to help youngsters to see and

reach their full potential. A nice addition to a KS2 self-esteem or PSHE collection.

Sharon Corbally

Stephens, Matt

Raz Beri

Firefly, 169pp, £7.99, 2024, 9781915444615

Cerebral palsy. Bullying. Prejudice

Billy has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. While in primary

school life wasn’t too bad, now he is at secondary school the other children are more

malicious, especially his former best friend. When new student Mia arrives in school,

she challenges this status quo – from her own wheelchair. An easily accessible book

but, because of the language, best for secondary students. It should be required

reading for all students to raise questions about how they treat those with disabilities.

Dawn Woods


Feature


We spoke to Ayesha from Mirror Me Write to find

out about her project to get relatable, diverse and

inclusive literature into the hands of children.

What prompted you to start Mirror Me Write?

Ayesha Ansari is a Teaching

Assistant, mother of two and

the founder of Mirror Me

Write, a Manchester online

indie bookshop, promoting

inclusive books and authors

from underrepresented

backgrounds. She

established her business at

the end of 2019.

Mirror Me Write was born from seeing a lack

of representation and disengagement with

inclusive books in the school curriculum. As

a Teaching Assistant for over 10 years both in

mainstream and independent schools, I struggled

to comprehend how children were being

provided with a very limited, colonial inspired

narrative of the world. It seemed that there was

a huge disparity in the values, we as educators

are asked to promote like tolerance, empathy,

understanding and respect and yet in our

actions, we weren’t promoting and providing that

visibility in books, that are a basic, beautiful and

fundamental educational tool.

As a mother of two, I also wanted better for

my children. I wanted them to see themselves

reflected on pages, so that their experiences were

given value but more than anything, I wanted the

books they read to mirror wider society and the

world out there.

Where did the name come from?

When I was thinking of names, I knew I wanted

to find something that encompassed all the

values I believed in and that’s how I got to ‘Mirror

Me Write’. ‘Mirror’ because of what they reflect,

‘Me’ was to ground the reflection in one's own

experience so that the representation we were

providing in books was inclusive of all. Anyone

could be ‘Me’ and ‘Write’ was to be a little

whimsical and play with the word ‘Right’ but with

a serious intention. ‘Write’ was because I wanted

to promote authors who wrote authentically,

either because they were rooted in their writing or

because they were heavily committed to writing

about a theme/topic that didn’t rely on negative

stereotypes and tropes.

I struggled to comprehend how

children were being provided with

a very limited, colonial inspired

narrative of the world.

You don't just have the online shop, do you?

What has your work with schools been like?

Working with schools was key to me, as it is

where I wanted to make fundamental change

and inspire a new generation of readers. I now

advise schools on curriculum book choices and

provide them with books for their classroom and

school libraries. This connection with schools

and passionate, likeminded teachers has meant

the world. Somehow, the skills I’ve learnt running

the business have also allowed me to take on an

informal role of a publicist and events planner.

Over the last few years I have also been organising

author visits for schools across the UK. I feel that

if more children are exposed to both authors and

inclusive books, we can normalise representation.

What has it been like promoting the shop

whilst also working and being a mother?

Hard, exhausting but hopeful. Mirror Me Write

is an online shop but to be honest has run more

like a pop up and side hustle. I work in a school



Working with schools was key to

me, as it is where I wanted to make

fundamental change and inspire a

new generation of readers.

What have been your biggest highlights with

Mirror Me Write so far?

There have been so many wonderful moments

I’ve had the pleasure to be involved with in the

last 6 years of running Mirror Me Write. Some

of my highlights have been interviewing Jason

Reynolds, organising author tours in schools

but most recently being asked to speak at the

Northern Lights Writers Conference on Diversity

in Literature. Although I did have to address that I

don’t really like using the word diversity as it still

otherises us, and being asked to be a Judge for The

Week Junior Book Awards 2024.

What are your hopes for the future of the shop

and the brand?

full time, so most of my book work has been

through my social media on my phone, at pop

up events in my holidays and at any other time

I can squeeze. I run it myself which is one of the

biggest challenges because in some respects it’s

like having two full time jobs with half the pay. As

much as I’ve faced challenges and am not quite

where I want to be yet, Mirror Me Write in some

ways saved me and has allowed me to find a bit of

me again. I know that sounds a little dramatic but

as a mother, it’s easy to give everything to your

family and lose a little or a lot of your identity.

I know that very much happened to me and so

now I am kind of challenging myself and doing

things I didn’t think I was capable of. I still have

so much more to achieve and I’m looking into

ways for it to make more sense. I would love to

grow in this book industry.

Oh wow, where do I start with this? For all who

know me, they know that I dream of a physical

space where I can promote the books I sell and

organise book events. The books I sell need

to be seen, as so many of them are visually

stunning. I have so many ideas for Mirror Me

Write but eventually would love to see it run as a

Community Interest Company/social enterprise,

so that I can do more socially conscious work.

I wanted to promote authors who

wrote authentically, either because they

were rooted in their writing or because

they were heavily committed to writing

about a theme/topic that didn’t rely on

negative stereotypes and tropes.


Feature

Honouring Writers and Illustrators

of Colour with the Jhalak Prize

First awarded in March 2017, the

Jhalak Prize awards seek to

celebrate books by writers of colour

in the UK and Ireland. In 2020,

the single award was bifurcated

to create a dedicated Jhalak

Children’s YA Prize. From 2024, the Jhalak

Poetry Prize has been added to our awards

portfolio. The Prize annually awards £1000 to each

winner along with a unique work of art created by

artists chosen for the annual Jhalak Art Residency.

This year, we have completed five years of

the Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Our winners include Patrice Lawrence,

Maisie Chan, Danielle Jawando, Hiba Noor Khan

and most recently, in 2025,

Nathanael Lessore. Moreover,

in just five years, our annual

C&YA longlists have become

a touchstone for libraries,

bookshops and readers

looking to expand horizons

and seek out a greater range

of extraordinary writing for

children and young adults.

Our Jhalak C&YA

longlists represent the best

in children’s & young adult

writing, melding together

incredible literary skill,

incisive view into sociopolitical

anxieties faced

by young people, and an

uncanny ability to reach readers. Our 2025 winner

Nathanael Lessore’s King of Nothing (Hot Key)

exemplifies our judges’ choices and the Jhalak

ethos. Lessore’s hilarious, heartwarming novel

also addresses complex and urgent issues of grief,

friendship, and how to negotiate growing up in

a culture that often rewards and idolises toxic

models of masculinity. Lessore’s book is written

with great compassion and insight and is one book

that young boys (as well girls) will love to read.

The Jhalak Art Residency was born in 2018 when the

best-selling novelist Dorothy Koomson offered to

sponsor a unique work of art by an artist of colour

to serve as a trophy for the Jhalak Prize. The Art

Residency now annually commissions two artists

to annually create unique works of art for the Jhalak

Prose and Poetry Awards. From 2020 the residency

was expanded to an annual commission to an

illustrator of colour to create an original work for the

new Jhalak C&YA Prize. The Jhalak Art Residency

for our C&YA prize helps the organisation shine a

light on the extraordinary talent amongst British

children’s book illustrators of colour.

From the very beginning, Jhalak Prize has

partnered with like-minded organisations, building

recognition, knowledge and

appreciation of the contemporary

British literature by writers

of colour amongst reading

communities, schools, libraries

and bookshops. This includes

partnerships with heritage

institutions such as the British

Library who internationally

live-streamed our 2021

awards and continue to

host our awards at an

annual in-person event

and live-streamed event.

We also have a

partnership with

The London Library,

the UK's largest

independent library, who not only host an annual

event to celebrate our shortlists but also extend

complimentary memberships to our winners.

Since 2021, we have partnered with National Book

Tokens to help increase awareness and support

amongst bookshops for Jhalak longlisted titles. Our

new poetry award is supported by the independent

poetry publisher Ink Sweat & Tears with a special

focus on their internship programme.

Author and academic

Sunny Singh is a founder,

trustee and director of the

Jhalak Foundation which

administers the Jhalak

Prize. Singh is Professor of

Creative Writing and Inclusion

in the Arts at the London

Metropolitan University.


Our Jhalak C&YA longlists represent the best

in children’s & young adult writing, melding

together incredible literary skill, incisive view into

socio-political anxieties faced by young people,

and an uncanny ability to reach readers.

#JhalakPrize25

2025 Shortlist

Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize

In partnership with

Feature

The Room Where It Happens:

Promoting Diversity Through

Fiction in the Sixth Form Library

Olivia Edmonds shares her experiences of creating a

supportive, inclusive and engaging sixth form library.

On my first day as a learning

resources manager at a sixth

form college in the Midlands, the

then Principal said to me, ‘Olivia,

our students don’t read – and

they need to. You need to get our

students to read.’ This was a challenge I was more

than happy to accept, but looking at the wider context

of the college, this turned out to be a bigger battle

than I first expected. The college is situated in one of

the most deprived areas in the country and serves a

predominantly ethnic minority community, where

many students have English as a second language.

With limited opportunities to develop their cultural

capital and without access to community libraries, it

made me realise the importance of the library I was

now in charge of, as well as the impact that it could

have on the lives of its students.

My first focus was to make our stock as relevant

and engaging for our students as possible. The

stock I inherited from the previous librarian

was completely out of date and, based on my

experience at my first school (which had a similar

cultural and religious demographic), not fit for

purpose. The importance of representation in

books is key to engaging young people in reading,

so when the library shelves contained the works

of authors such as Geoffrey Archer and Barbara

Cartland, it was easy to see why library usage was

so low. Couple that with the severe lack of books

representing any of the protected characteristics

of the Equality Act 2010, and it was clear to see

the areas that needed addressing. I wanted the

library space to be a supportive, inclusive, and

engaging learning environment. A place in which

our students could, in a safe space, learn about and

ask questions about things they may have never

discussed before – and for this to happen, major

changes were needed.

Working alongside the college’s equality and diversity

co-ordinator, as well as a focus group of students

and other staff, we worked together to assess what

from the current stock was fit for purpose, what stock

was unfit for purpose, and what stock could be fit for

purpose if appropriately updated. It was the findings

of this exercise that I was then able to take to my line

manager and then onto the senior leadership team,

who approved the decision for me to fully replace

all of our fiction/reading for pleasure books with

more appropriate, relevant, and engaging stock.

This up-front investment in stock has meant that

any additional or recently published stock has only

needed to be purchased in small amounts to reflect

the changing times in which we live.

When choosing new stock, I wanted to ensure

that the variety of Own Voices stories was as wide

as possible. I felt it was as important for students

to have access to stories relating to issues they

have not come across before – such as different

religions, sexualities, and cultures – as it was to

have access to stories where they have some

familiarity. Overall, my main aim in choosing

new stock was for our students to be able to see

themselves in the texts we have. With continued

support from our students, we were able to create

a collection that provided a solid base for us to

build on as the years passed. This collection has

now allowed us to build our students’ engagement

with a range of topics, including national and

international events and cultural movements (thus

improving their cultural capital), and has resulted

in increased student loans, in-depth liaison with

teachers to provide further links between fiction

and the curriculum, and hosting a series of speaker

events, ranging from authors to representatives

from different religious backgrounds.

There will never be an end point when it comes to

diversifying a library collection, especially when it

comes to fiction. We live in an ever-changing society,

where every day there are new issues raised and new

opinions formed. Furthermore, the access to on-thespot

news being almost instantaneous means we, as

librarians, need to be aware of what our students are

consuming and facing. If we can truly allow them to

learn and be educated about a wide range of diverse

matters in a safe environment, such as our libraries,

then we have more chance of our young people being

the true change that our world really needs.

Olivia Edmonds currently

serves as an Academic

Liaison Librarian at the

University of Wales Trinity

St David (Birmingham). She

is active on social media @

MissOliviaReads.

This article was originally

written for Diverse Educators

in 2021 (https://www.

diverseeducators. co.uk/

the-room-where-it-happenspromoting-diversitythrough-fiction-in-the-sixthform-library/).


Feature


Ayaan Mohamud, author of You Think You Know Me,

talks to us about writing, representation, and celebrating

the beautiful differences in our world.

Ayaan Mohamud wrote her

first ever book in lockdown,

during NaNoWriMo, while

also studying as a medical

student, and it became her

debut novel. It was inspired

by her own experiences of

Islamophobia and a desire to

write about Somali culture,

which she hopes to shine

more of a light on in YA.

She lives in London and can

usually be found either writing

or complaining about writing.

What was your first memory of reading? Did

you always want to be a writer?

My earliest memory of reading was when I was

about 8 years old and had bought a book from the

school book fair. I can’t recall the story properly

at all – except that it was one about a dog that was

lost and needed to find its way back home – but I

do recall how the story made me feel. And that’s

precisely what is so wonderful and powerful about

books; how deeply they can make us feel, even

when the entire plot is lost to time.

I think I wanted to be a writer not long after that.

When I fell in love with reading, I fell in love with

the idea of wanting to write stories that would one

day leave a lasting mark on a reader.

How have your family/upbringing/life

experiences influenced your writing?

I have to say, when I was younger, there probably

wasn’t much influence because most of my writing

was inspired by the books I was reading at the time

which weren’t very diverse; settings and characters

that bore absolutely no similarity or connection to the

places I grew up in or the people I grew up around.

That certainly changed in my early twenties when I

came back to writing after a long hiatus and veered

into contemporary fiction. For the first time in my

life, the stories I wrote reflected the world around

me, as well as the Somali culture and the Islamic

faith that I grew up with. And, to be completely

honest, that’s when I felt my writing truly started

to sing because there was this layer of authenticity

and connection that had never been there before.

Your debut novel 'You Think You Know Me'

has been a huge success and was listed for

the Waterstones Book of the Year Prize. For

anyone who hasn't read it, what is the book

about? What do you hope your readers get

from the book? And what was it like to receive

such an accolade for your debut?

You Think You Know Me is a story about a teen

called Hanan who attends a grammar school in

London and who has faced a lot of bullying and

discrimination there because of her Muslim faith.

When a terrible incident rocks the local community,

a series of events unfold that force Hanan to

question whether she wants to continue being the

good, quiet girl or whether she wants to speak her

truth in the face of shocking Islamophobia.

My hope for the book has always been two-fold:

firstly, that it would allow young Muslims and

Somalis to feel seen and authentically represented

in a way they almost never are in YA literature,

and secondly, to foster empathy, compassion, and

understanding with every reader.

The reception that You Think You Know Me has

received from readers and from book prizes has

seriously blown me away. Putting a book out into

the world is always going to be terrifying and even

more so when a story handles a delicate subject

like Islamophobia.

I was worried about so many things in the lead up

to publication; worried that the book may prove

triggering for some readers, worried that it may be

too ‘preachy’ for others. I do think those worries

will never fully go away, but the warm reception

and the way people have embraced this story has

given me so much joy.

Tell us about your most recent release, 'The

Thread That Connects Us'?

The Thread That Connects Us is a story about two

stepsisters, Halima and Safiya, whose worlds collide

when Safiya’s dad moves his new family to London:

Safiya has struggled to pick up the pieces of her

family since her dad left them and moved to

Somalia. She refuses to trust in love, despite wishing

she could fall for boy-next-door Yusuf... And then

her dad moves back to town with his new family,

shattering her life all over again.

Halima doesn't want to move to England. She

resents her stepdad for dropping her in a strange

new life with a new language to learn – replacing

her friends with bullies who set out to shame her.

When the girls are thrown together at school, it's

hate at first sight. But as they uncover life-changing

secrets from their parents' past, they begin to

realise...What if the key to all their problems lies in

their sisterhood?

It seems a silly question to ask, but why do you

think representation in books is so important

for young people today?

It’s so important because visibility is everything.

Young people who see themselves in the world



Books With Muslim

Characters

Abdel-Magied, Yassmin

You Must be Layla

Penguin Books, 2023, 80pp, £6.99, 9780241589083

Bullying. Confidence. Invention

Thirteen-year-old Layla sets out to prove that she

deserves her scholarship at her new school by entering

a big robotics competition. She is a strong and fun

protagonist who will not be deterred, she just needs

to find a way to work with the person who bullied her.

Perfect for UKS2 and LKS3 readers.

Abdur-Rashid, Tasneem

Odd Girl Out

David Fickling Books, 2025, 363pp, £8.99, 9781788453394

Identity. Friendship. Finding your place

Ayaan Mohamud

know that they have a place in it and that can truly

change the course of their lives. The absence of

representation – of diverse characters and cultures

and faiths – sends the implicit message to young

people that they do not belong, and I don’t think

that’s a message anyone is on board with.

But aside from this toxic messaging, representation

in books is simply important because our world is

made up of so many beautiful differences. Why on

earth wouldn’t published books represent that?

From both personal and professional

experience, why would you say Libraries are

such an essential part of the world our young

people are growing up in?

Libraries are a vital safe space for young people,

particularly those who would otherwise have

reduced access to books. Growing up, my mum

would take my sister and I to the library every week

and it was a trip that I was always so excited for. We

didn’t have much money growing up, so borrowing

loads of books from the library was the only way

to satiate my appetite for reading. Our local library

felt like a home away from home, a place where I

could both lose and find myself.

From professional experience, I have seen firsthand

what a difference libraries make to young

people and how beloved these spaces are. And it’s

no secret that reading regularly and for pleasure

has a huge impact on educational attainment too,

as well as on countless other key metrics. So I don’t

believe it is ever possible to overstate how essential

libraries are for young people today and for the

adults they will become in the future.

For Maaryah it is a bit of a culture shock to be moved

from the warmth, luxury and familiarity of Dubai to a new

life in England. Everything has changed since her parents’

divorce and now she is starting over. With challenges

such as moving to a new school where she is the only

hijabi, making new friends, tackling racism and all the

struggles being a teenager brings, this is a fantastic and

relatable page-turner for KS3.

Mian, Zanib

Illustrated by Kyan Cheng

Meet the Maliks. Twin Detectives:

The Cookie Culprit

Hodder Children’s Books, 2023, 196pp, £7.99,

9781444923674

Humour. Intrigue. Family culture

The Malik twins need to put differences aside and work

together when their cookies for the mosque’s baking

competition are destroyed. Readers will enjoy watching

the chaos unfold as the main characters try to find the

‘Cookie Killer.’ Great for KS2 readers who will love the

humour and illustrations throughout.

Muhammad, Ibtikhaj & Ali, S.K.

Illustrated by Hatem Aly

The Boldest White

Andersen Press, 2025, 40pp, £7.99, 9781839136849

Community. Courage. Hobbies

The third picture book in this beautiful series that

celebrates women and identity. Young Faizah loves being

part of a group but needs to find the courage to stand

alone for an upcoming fencing competition. Gorgeously

illustrated, this story is wonderful for sharing at storytime

as it shows the importance of community as well as

being brave to stand up and be yourself.


Feature

Developing Diverse School

Libraries with the Lit in Colour

(Incomplete) Book Lists


This year marks five years since

Lit in Colour first launched, a

campaign that has grown into a

vital movement for celebrating

and amplifying the voices of

authors of colour within the

study of English Literature education.

Research in partnership with the Runnymead

Trust in 2021 found that teachers often struggle

to find books by writers of colour, and lack

the time needed to research suitable titles.

The (incomplete) Lit in Colour book lists, a

cornerstone of the Lit in Colour programme,

have been created to reverse this trend by

saving teachers time and building subject

knowledge of texts by authors of colour.

The book lists are ‘incomplete’, because a list

can never be exhaustive or definitive when it

comes to recommending great books by authors

of colour. Instead, the book lists offer a snapshot

of exciting new texts that have just been published

and spotlight older classic texts to help teachers

and young people diversify their reading.

All the books listed have suggested year groups

as a guide, but as no two students are alike, really

this is more of a starting point for teachers to

familiarise themselves with what is available and

build confidence in their subject knowledge and

awareness of books by writers of colour.

The release of the 5th volume of the list is a

particularly exciting milestone as it marks over

1000 books recommended across the (incomplete)

Lit in Colour book lists for Primary and Secondary.

This year’s lists feature more Favourite Titles

from Darren Chetty, Farhana Islam, Sathnam

Sanghera, Selina Brown and Sharna Jackson in

the Primary list, as well as Focus Author and

Focus Title pages to spotlight different bodies of

work in the Secondary list. As with previous lists,

there continues to be more international voices

expanding the narratives students encounter

beyond Britain and celebrating cultures from

around the world. Highlighting these books

from publishers across the industry is important

for demonstrating their significance in the

classroom and educational spaces but also a wider

commitment to inclusive publishing. Supporting

our young people to be aware of just how many

different voices contribute to our shared literary

landscape is beneficial for all students.

They showcase a range of authors

of colour that is far broader than any

I have seen promoted elsewhere.

Over the years, the lists have been used by many

teachers, schools, libraries and general readers to

discover new texts and revisit overlooked classics

to bring greater variety into everyone’s lives.

Dr Tessa Roynon, Senior Librarian at The Swan

School in Oxford, saw an opportunity to create

a lasting impact in her school which had newly

opened in 2019. Having founded the Library from

scratch in 2020, she set out to build a collection

that was diverse and anti-racist from the outset. Her

application to the Lit in Colour Pioneers scheme,

a partnership between Penguin Books UK and

exam board Pearson, was successful and the school

received 200 brand new books from Penguin;

these fiction and non-fiction texts, all by writers of

colour, made a hugely significant contribution to the

inclusivity of the growing collection.

For Dr Roynon, these books weren’t just a nice

addition to the library but an integral part of the

reading culture of the school, “Penguin sent us a

fantastic range of books for all ages and stages.

We wanted to use the donations organically,

within our existing collection and student access

structures, rather than to present these books as

‘different’ in any way”.

The donation included some 8-10 copy-sets of a

single text, as well as 2 full class sets. The school used

these for literacy interventions such as their Year 8

Reading Circle and the Year 9 Book Club, as well for

Developing Diverse School Libraries

their Tutor Reading Programme (in which tutors read

aloud to their groups during 3 tutor times per week).

In 2025, The Swan School was selected as a KS5

Lit in Colour Pioneer. This time they received 300

further books for the library, as well as 50 copies of

Beloved (taught at A level) for sixth form students.

The 30 donated copies of A Dutiful Boy became a

thought-provoking title for the Staff Book Club.

I can guarantee you will

encounter brilliant new books

you have never heard of.

The Heads of English and History at The Swan

School had set out to create a decolonised

curriculum at all levels since the school’s

inception. The Lit in Colour Pioneer books and

CPD resources (such as webinars on a range of

GCSE and A level texts) have been the perfect

complement to this approach, through providing

a significant quantity and huge generic variety of

brilliant inclusive reads.

The (incomplete) book lists continue to be a

valuable resource for Dr Roynon to inform her

stock development as the library changes and

grows. She would urge all schools to use them,

whether they are just starting to think about

diverse collections or have already started. “The

Incomplete Lists are a godsend to librarians. They

showcase a range of authors of colour that is far

broader than any I have seen promoted elsewhere.

I can guarantee you will encounter brilliant new

books you have never heard of.”

“The selection spans multiple publishers as the

aim of the lists is to inform rather than to sell

books, which also makes it an invaluable onestop

resource. The lists are divided into narrow

year group bands (rather than just KS3, KS4,

for example) which also makes then unusually

specific and useful. They are beautifully presented

with an impressively detailed blurb about each

title. They are a gift to time-poor educators: if you

want to diversify your library collection quickly

and you have some budget, then just sit down and

order everything that they recommend”.

See the 2025 (incomplete) Lit in Colour lists:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/socialimpact/lit-in-colour/teaching-resources/

reading-lists

Peters Books support the Lit in Colour

campaign through the creation of various

book packs at discounted prices that are

based on the (incomplete) Lit in Colour

book lists. They have different sizes

available and draw on titles featured from

the 2021 – 2025 lists. Check out their

website for upcoming details of a

competition give away of one their

comprehensive Lit in Colour book packs!

Find out more: peters.co.uk/lit-in-colour


Feature

Challenges in Libraries:

Three Years On

Alice Leggatt

Three years ago an author was banned from my school –

this is what has happened since:

Alice Leggatt is the Library

Manager at Oaks Park High

School in South West London.

She is a member of the CILIP

SLG committee and a recipient

of the CILIP 125 award. She

has a special interest in issues

of censorship and intellectual

freedom.

This article is a follow-up to one I

wrote for TSL in the summer of 2022

about the events that surrounded the

Archdiocese of Southwark banning

author Simon James Green from

visiting my school library, and

about what I’d learned from being caught up in a

public and particularly vicious book challenge.

Reading the article back now, from a position

of calm and safety in my current school, I am

struck by how raw it sounds in places. I use words

like ‘panicked’, ‘gut-punch’, ‘horror’ and ‘ugly’ to

describe the experience. I can see that I was still

reeling from the shock of what had happened,

and so it is with a more settled (although never

detached) mindset that I write this update on what

has followed since.

Sadly, what I had initially hoped was a one-off

anomaly does in fact seem to have been an early

warning sign. This year the American Library

Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom

reported that 2,452 unique titles were challenged,

with 72% of challenges now coming from pressure

groups and government entities. Although we don’t

track book challenges in the same way in the UK,

there is no doubt that they are on the rise here too.

In 2023 CILIP reported that a third of UK librarians

have been asked to censor materials, and The

Herald Scotland found that more than four out of

five librarians in the UK were concerned that this

number would rise. In 2024, Index on Censorship

found in a survey of 53 school librarians that over

half had been asked to remove books. Alison

Hicks of UCL’s Department of Information Studies

undertook research to examine the impact of the

‘anti-woke culture war’ on library staff, reporting that

her interviews with school library workers revealed

a sharp rise in incidents, and that these were almost

unanimously related to LGBTQ+ materials.

This tallies with my own anecdotal evidence;

by virtue of having spoken publicly about my

experience with a book challenge I have become

known as something of an accidental ‘expert-ish’

on the issue, and as a result have been contacted

by more librarians than I can count about book

challenges happening quietly in their own schools.

All of these challenges have, as Hicks found,

related to books featuring LGBTQ+ characters or

information, and range from primary schools to

sixth form colleges. I sometimes worry that sharing

these stories and discussions amongst ourselves

is prompting a rise in self-censorship, as librarians

wonder whether it’s easier to just not put up that

Pride Month display or book that gay children’s

author for a visit; on the other hand I firmly believe

that we need to talk about what is happening, so

that we can work together to provide a united front

in support of intellectual freedom for all children.

In 2023 CILIP reported that a third

of UK librarians have been asked

to censor materials

In my original article I wrote about the brilliant

support I received from the SLA, CILIP SLG and

the NEU. They have all continued to be proactive

and engaged, and since 2022 I have been invited to

work with them in looking more closely at issues

of censorship. I was particularly pleased to be

involved in a series of webinars about censorship

in school libraries, hosted jointly by the SLA and

CILIP SLG. These were free to members of both

organisations and were fully booked in hours,

proving the need for more of this kind of work.

I was also honoured to write for IFLA during

Banned Books Week, providing an international

perspective on book bans.

Since experiencing the book challenge at my

school, CILIP have published their new guidance,

Managing a Safe and Inclusive Public Library

Service, which explicitly states that school

librarians have a duty to ‘oppose censorship’ in


Challenges in Libraries: Three Years On

I am still sad that LGBTQ+ students had

to see adults fighting over their right to

exist and to celebrate their lives.

accordance with professional ethics; Meanwhile

both the SLA and CILIP SLG have been working

on tools to help librarians write policies which

defend intellectual freedom and guard against

book challenges. Despite the gloomy news we

often receive about the ‘culture wars’ and the ways

in which this affects us, it has been a pleasure and

a privilege to watch the library world pull together

in this way in defence of our professional ethics.

Following the oh-so-fun experience of being

labelled as ‘outside the bounds of what is

permissible in a Catholic school’, Simon James

Green published his ‘most personal novel yet’, Boy

Like Me. The story follows two boys falling in love

through the pages of a book during Section 28

and is dedicated to ‘hero librarians everywhere’. It

has won several awards, many voted on by young

people, which I am unashamedly thrilled about!

As for my old school, it was a wrench to leave. I cried

pathetically through my whole last day and felt deeply

heartbroken – we can pour so much time and care and

love into our libraries, and it’s hard to walk away after

all that, no matter what has led to our decision to move

on. I am pleased to say that they eventually found

a new librarian to keep the library open, although I

was disappointed to hear that Simon’s books were

finally removed from the shelves after I left.

My new school has given me the opportunity to find

joy in the library again – I have been trusted and

supported to bring it back to life after a period of

closure, and watching it thrive as a truly diverse and

inclusive space over the past three years has given me

confidence to keep doing what I’m doing. I have learnt

a huge amount about book banning, censorship and

intellectual freedom, and it is wonderful to be able to

put some of those lessons to good use both in my work

and for my wider profession.

Looking back on my original article and on the

events of 2022 I find that my overwhelming feeling

is one of sadness. I am still sad that an author event

intended to inspire and entertain was twisted in

to being something ugly. I am still sad that Simon

had to face such hateful, bigoted comments. I am

still sad I had to leave a job I adored. Mostly I am

still sad that LGBTQ+ students had to see adults

fighting over their right to exist and to celebrate

their lives. They deserved better.

Going forwards, I plan to keep working with the

library community to provide support to those

who face book challenges, and to ensure that the

resources we have to help us are the best they can

be. We can no longer be surprised or complacent at

what is happening, albeit quietly, in many schools.

I hope that we can keep being brave instead of

becoming scared to rock the boat, and that we

continue to centre our students in everything we do.

Alice recommends...

Fisher, Tia

Not Going to Plan

Hot Key Books, 2025, 352pp, £8.99, 9781471418372

Adolescence. Pregnancy. Relationships.

I have included this book as it deals with a topic which has,

and still does, attract censorship, especially in schools. It is a

verse novel in the same style as Tia Fisher's Carnegie-winning

Crossing the Line, which deals with teen sex, pregnancy and

abortion in a realistic, informative way while at the same time

creating a compelling, funny and moving narrative. I defy any

reader not to fall in love with Marnie and Zed!

Green, Simon James

Boy Like Me

Scholastic, 2023, 357pp, £8.99, 9780702313653

LGBTQ+. Nineties. Librarian

An obvious choice perhaps, but so worth a read, especially by

school librarians! Set during Section 28, this book deals with the

shame LGBTQ+ youth could feel as they came to accept their

identities during this dark period in our history. It beautifully

highlights the huge impact literature, libraries, librarians and the

freedom to read could have in helping young people develop a

sense of pride and solidarity. It is funny, sad, heartfelt and fierce.

Miller, Kirsten

Lulu Dean's Little Library of Banned Books

HQ, 2025, 448pp, £9.99, 9780008654306

Censorship. America. Resistance

Written for an adult audience, this book was described as a 'roar

of rage' by Marian Keyes. It follows Lulu Dean, who believes she

has succeeded in ridding her US town of 'un-American' books,

but finds that the power of literature to create empathy, change

people and inspire rebellion is not as easily suppressed as she

thought. A must for librarians!

Panetta, Kevin

Illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau

Bloom

First Second, 2019, 351pp, £15.99, 9781626726413

LGBTQ+. Bakery. Graphic Novel

This recommendation comes from my bookworm teenage

daughter, who says "Bloom catches such raw emotion and

really makes you feel so deeply for the characters - you fall

in love with the story when you read it". The gorgeously

illustrated graphic novel focuses on Ari, who is reluctant to

continue working in his Dad's struggling bakery - that is, until

he interviews the carefree and handsome Hector to be his

replacement... Perfect for students who are ready to move on

from Heartstopper.


Inclusive titles

recommended by ...

... Ian Eagleton

Ian Eagleton is an author,

education consultant and

primary school teacher,

based in the South East. He

specialises in KS2 with a

focus on creativity and the

development of a ‘Writing and

Reading Culture’ where stories

and literature, in all its forms,

are celebrated.

The Fights that Make Us

Sarah Hagger-Holt

Jesse has recently come out as

non-binary, and is struggling to

find their place at school, and

ideas for their project on lost

stories from history.

Thirty-five years earlier, Jesse’s

cousin Lisa is falling for her

best friend, but with laws being

introduced to restrict LGBT people’s rights, they’ll have to

fight for the world to accept who they are.

When Jesse stumbles across Lisa’s teenage diary, they are

fascinated and horrified by her stories of living a secret life.

Now it’s Jesse’s turn to find a way to shine a spotlight on a

history that mustn’t be forgotten.

The Fights that Make Us is perfect for children aged 9 and

above. LGBTQ+ history is skilfully woven throughout the

story and readers will find this book both informative,

heart-warming, and engaging. It’s a brave, defiant, lifeaffirming

story about learning from the past and facing the

future with optimism.

Jamie

L.D Lapinski

Jamie Rambeau is a happy

11-year-old non-binary kid

who likes nothing better than

hanging out with their two best

friends, Daisy and Ash. But the

trio find out that for Year Seven

their secondary schools will be

split – one school for boys and

another for girls. And no adults

seem to have thought about

where Jamie is going to go.

Worse still, their tight friendship group suddenly seems at

risk, as no matter which school Jamie chooses, they will no

longer be with one of their best friends.

Jamie is a book which celebrates the joy of friendship

and the importance of being true to yourself. It beautifully

shows that anyone can be the catalyst to make a change.

It’s a book about the need to fight for what you believe is

right and it will help readers understand that everyone can

make a change. A powerfully inclusive book fizzing with

happiness and hope!

My Daddies!

Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons

Set off on a series of incredible

adventures with an adorable

family as the stories they

read burst into colourful life.

Battle dragons, dodge deadly

dinosaurs, zoom to the moon,

and explore the world in a hot

air balloon, before winding

down in a wonderfully cosy

bedtime ending.

I’ve been waiting a long time to read this beautiful book

with our young toddler and now he insists we read My

Daddies! every night! I can’t tell you how emotional both

my husband and I were when our child said, ‘They have

two daddies and a dog too!’ It’s both wonderful and vital for

children to see themselves and their families represented in

books, and this magical, vibrant story is delightful!

Can You See the Stars Tonight?

Anna Terreros-Martin

When baby puffins – pufflings

– start getting lost, Nora and

her Puffin try to understand

why. After an adventure to

Puffin Island, they realise: the

moon and stars aren’t bright

enough to guide the pufflings

safely on their way! Can Nora

and Puffin make a difference

and save these tiny birds? Can

they make the night sky shine again?

Plenty of the illustrations in this dazzling book made me

gasp. What I particularly loved about Can You See the Stars

Tonight? is the incidental inclusion of a two-dad family. It’s

lovely to see Nora’s Daddy and Pappa supporting and helping

her so lovingly. It’s also wonderful to see an LGBTQ+ family

having fun and going on an adventure too! This is a sparkling

treat of a book, brimming with warmth and kindness.



... Simon James Green

Broken Hearts and Zombie Parts

William Hussey

Jesse Spark only has a month

to shoot his zombie movie

before he’s in hospital for major

surgery on his heart. I’m a big

fan of funny LGBTQ+ YA books

which highlight humour rather

than trauma – and this has

laughs in buckets – but it also

tackles body image issues in a

way that will resonate with a

lot of teenage boys, regardless

of their sexuality. Uplifting and

smart, it’s also a very realistic portrayal of gay teenage boys,

their antics, and their insecurities, by one of the best YA

authors in the game right now.

Ace of Spades

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Buried secrets come to light

in this thriller when two

students are targeted by

an anonymous bully with

an explosive agenda. This

brilliant novel is perfect

for fans of Gossip Girl and

Pretty Little Liars, and it’ll

definitely keep you on the

edge of your seat, but it’s

also a devastating look at

institutional racism and

homophobia, exploring what it means to be queer and

Black in a society which is not only stacked against you,

but trying to destroy you.

Proud Anthology

Various

Curated by Juno Dawson,

this anthology features short

stories and illustrations

from 26 LGBTQ+ writers and

artists. The joy of this book

is that so many identities are

represented, and, aside from

the length, the mix of poems,

prose, and gorgeous artwork

ensures it’s highly accessible

and there’s something for

everyone. A real celebration

of the LGBTQ+ community from a mix of well-known

names and newer talent.

Me, My Dad, and the End of the Rainbow

Benjamin Dean

One for middle-grade readers,

this joyous and uplifting book

is a wonderful celebration of

family, identity and inclusivity.

Things aren’t great for Archie

Albright after his parents have

split up. But a crumpled flyer

leads to a huge adventure and

maybe a chance to fix his family.

LGBTQ+ representation is front

and centre in this warm-hearted

story, and it’s the perfect way for

younger readers to understand the world is full of different

people, and with a little kindness, there’s happiness for us all,

at the end of the rainbow.

Simon James Green is an

author and screenwriter,

whose novels cover a range

of audiences – from picture

books, to middle grade and

Young Adult literature. His

books have been nominated

for a number of awards.



... Julian Sedgwick

Julian Sedgwick is author of

Carnegie Medal shortlisted

novels. Cambridgeshire based

Julian’s lifelong interest in the

arts and culture of China and

Japan has influenced much

of his work.

Sawbones

Catherine Johnson

A dark and wonderful historical

crime thriller set in 18th century

London, Sawbones tells the

tale of Ezra MacAdam, a freed

Jamaican slave now apprenticed

to a famous surgeon. In this

pacy and gripping mystery of

murder and grave-robbing,

Ezra’s race and backstory is

treated matter-of-factly as

part of a London that is more

cosmopolitan than many would

imagine the 1700s to be. And as Johnson’s well-researched

and skilled storytelling leads us through the intrigue, the

book’s reminder that there were black faces stitched into the

fabric of the society of the time is subtly done. Ezra and his

friend Loveday, daughter of a magician, make a great team as

they investigate a world that is colourful, chaotic, gruesome at

times, but always compelling.

Hidden

Miriam Halahmy

Refugees, migration and

immigration, illegal Channel

boat crossings, racism. How

to take all these themes and

make something accessible,

non-preachy, and incredibly

readable? The answer is to

get Miriam Halahmy to write

Hidden, a gripping and moving

account of the narrator Alix’s

friendship with immigrant

Samir. Samir’s family occupy

a precarious status, struggling to put down new roots

after fleeing war and persecution. And as if Samir hasn’t

got enough to worry about, he is the victim of bullying

at school. Alix, though, is taken by him, and risks putting

herself in the bullies’ firing line by befriending Samir and

slowly getting to know his family and their moving story.

But greater peril awaits when Alix and Samir discover a

half-drowned and wounded asylum seeker on the beach.

Pushed from a people smuggler’s boat, he is close to death,

and the friends must risk everything to help save his life.

Page turning and very real, this contemporary – and very

relevant – adventure set on Hayling Island on the south

coast of England is beautifully and sensitively told. At one

time or another we can all find that we are the ‘outsider’

and may have to rely on the kindness and bravery of others.

Mexikid

Pedro Martin

Hands up for an honest and

funny memoir told in the form

of a graphic novel about a kid

who grows up in one country

but with deep roots in another?

And a journey to that ancestral

homeland in search of identity?

Yes please! The idea of this

book about growing up and

not feeling you ever quite fit

resonated strongly with my

research for and writing of

Tsunami Girl, as did the comic/graphic novel format. And

what a great true tale this is as we join Pedro (or Peter as his

name is in California where he lives) and the Martin family

(all 11 of them) on a rambunctious road trip in a Winnebago

camper van, ‘home, home’ to Mexico. Brilliant and loving

about both family and identity, the journey to bring Pedro’s

legendary grandfather back to California is very authentic

and deeply funny.

Rosie Loves Jack

Mel Darbon

Rosie Loves Jack is another

inclusive book that wears

its ‘inclusivity’ lightly and

elegantly, in this case

about disability. Rosie has

been separated from her

boyfriend Jack, and she will

do anything to be reunited

with him, including running

away from home. Can she

make the journey from

London to Brighton on her

own? Especially when the transport system is grinding

to a halt due to a snowstorm? And so what if Rosie has

Down’s Syndrome? Her love is just like anyone else’s. Or

unique, just like anyone else’s. Mel Darbon takes us on a

beautifully written and moving journey, both inside Rosie’s

head and alongside her, as we experience her quest for

independence and love. Hugely recommended.



... Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Their Vicious Games

Joelle Wellington

Their Vicious Games is a highoctane

young adult thriller

that takes the stakes and

twisted games of the popular

Netflix series Squid Game

plus the entertaining world

of the dating reality TV show

The Bachelorette and spins a

sophisticated cautionary tale

about the perils of buying into

the myth of meritocracy. This

book features an unforgettable

main character in Adina Walker, a scholarship student at a

prestigious American private school, who after losing her

place at her dream university is forced to enter a deadly

game with 12 other girls in order to fight for her future.

This story encapsulates the experiences of so many black

young adults who are forced to play this rigged game in an

unfair system, all while knowing that the odds are almost

never in their favour.

Scythe

Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman’s Scythe is

a masterclass in dystopian

fiction. The story takes

place in the near-distant

future, in a world that

is both recognisable as

ours but also completely

flipped on its head, with

technological advancements

that are wilder than our

wildest dreams. In Scythe,

death has been conquered,

people get to live forever, and almost every problem

we can conceive today has a solution. The world of

Scythe should be a utopia, but population control is

still an issue human beings are faced with, and so this

is where scythes come in. In this world, scythes are

beings who are appointed to stop overpopulation, which

they do through randomly selecting members of the

population to be killed periodically. The story follows

two courageous teens who become scythe apprentices

and learn that even in a world that seems utopic on the

surface, corruption festers in the underbelly of society,

poisoning those who are meant to be good.

Long Way Down

Jason Reynolds

Jason Reynolds’ genius is

unsheathed in Long Way

Down, a novel in verse

about the cyclical nature of

gun violence and a young

boy tasked with breaking

the same cycle that took

his brother, his father, and

countless other men in his

neighbourhood. What makes

Long Way Down such a

phenomenal story is not only Reynolds’s beautiful prose

but also its unique format and the way in which the

author plays with time. The entire story takes place in

a matter of seconds, and the reader is made to feel the

weight of each second that passes, and the decisions

that must be made as the clock ticks away. A groundbreaking

exploration of violence in a way that has never

been done before.

The Black Flamingo

Dean Atta

The Black Flamingo is written

by writer and poet Dean Atta

and utilises poetry to tell

a stunning coming-of-age

story about the fluid nature of

identity and the importance of

not shrinking yourself in order

to fit normative standards of

existing within society. The

story tackles so many timely

topics such as race, gender,

sexuality and family, making it both specific in its intended

target audience but also universal in the way these topics

are broached.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is an

avid tea drinker, a collector of

strange mugs, and a graduate

from a university in Scotland

where she received a BA in

English Literature. She also has

an MA in Shakespeare Studies

from Kings College London.

Lit in Colour Teaching Resources:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/about/social-impact/lit-in-colour/teaching-resources

A useful resource for teachers and librarians to access free Lit in Colour classroom ready teaching resources for secondary and primary.

It also links to Tes, Bloomsbury, Twinkl and Peters Lit in Colour partner pages where you can find more related content and resources.


Books: 7 & Under

Atta, Dean

Illustrated by

Alea Marley

Confetti

Orchard Books, 2024, 32pp,

£7.99, 9781408362082

Friendship. Celebration. LGBTQ+

With warmth and colour, Confetti tells the story

of Ari and how the confetti dance around her at

different celebrations. From her birthday to the

rainbows at the Pride parade, the anticipation of

her little sister arriving, following confetti through

the seasons to her uncle’s wedding, this is simply

a book about love and joy in the colourful world

around us. It is wonderful to read and discuss with

Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 as

they look at topics such as ourselves, colours,

celebrations and festivals.

Coelho, Joseph

Illustrated by

Richard Johnson

Our Tower

Frances Lincoln Children’s

Books, 2023, 48pp, £7.99,

9780711268852

Fantasy. Community. Friendship

This picture book stands out as it blends the real

world with fantasy, taking the readers on a modern

‘down the rabbit hole’ journey. It is refreshing for the

main characters living in a tower block as this is a

real reflection on home for so many. As they leave

the grey concrete to find the old tree that sings to

them, they are taken deep underground and gifted

a smooth stone that shows them the beauty in what

they consider the ordinary. Bringing the tower block

and its community to life, this book helps us think

and talk about what makes a home.

Harris Whaley, Ashley

Illustrated by

Ananya Rao-Middleton

I Am, You Are

Ladybird, 2023, 32pp, £12.99,

9780241573112

Disability. Individuality.

Empowerment.

Disability activist Ashley Harris Whaley’s I Am, You

Are aims to support children, parents, teachers,

and carers by explaining what disability is and why

it should be celebrated. The book is illustrated

throughout by advocacy campaigner Ananya Rao-

Middleton. It contains explanations of key words

and concepts written in child-friendly, accessible

language, with relatable examples, and supports

children’s understanding, building an anti-ableist

stance from an early age.

Joof, Emily

Illustrated by

Asa Gilland

Halima Superhero

Princess

Floris Books, 2024, 28pp,

£7.99, 9781782509066

Self-confidence. Feminism. Race

An older picture book tackles so much in a sensitive

way. Halima is invited to a party but who should

she dress up as. It is not easy to choose as she is

told that she does not look like the people she

wants to dress up as. With encouragement that she

can be whoever she wants to be, Halima finds the

confidence to do just that. Such lovely illustrations

bring Halima to life, she is a little girl to be proud of.

Muhammad, Ibtihaj

& Ali, S. K.

Illustrated by

Hatem Aly

The Proudest Blue

Andersen Press, 2020, 36pp,

£7.99, 9781783449729

Religion. Sisters. Identity.

The Proudest Blue is the story of Faizah, who is

embarking on her first day at school, and her older

sister Asiya, who is wearing hijab for the first time.

But while Faizah thinks her sister’s blue hijab is

beautiful, not everyone feels the same. Faced with

hurtful words, Faizah has to find new ways to be

strong. This is an uplifting story by fencer Ibtihaj

Muhammad, the first Muslim American woman in

hijab to compete and to win a medal for the United

States in the Olympic Games, and novelist Ali, with

gorgeous illustrations by Aly.

Stephens, Jordan

Illustrated by

Beth Suzanna

The Missing Piece

Bloomsbury Children’s Books,

2023, 32pp, £7.99,

9781526618047

Creativity. Family. Jigsaws

Sunny is a little girl who loves jigsaw puzzles and

how the pieces are all important and are connected

to make the picture. When she is trying to track

down a missing piece from her gran’s puzzle, she

finds that making new friends along the way brings

her more joy than she could have imagined. This

picture book is full of beautiful illustrations in joyful

hues, and the story takes the reader on a journey

of the senses as each new friend brings different

colours and smells of their homes. Recommended

for Key Stage 1.


Books: 8 – 12

Agard, John

Illustrated by

Sophie Bass

John Agard’s

Windrush Child

Walker Books, 2023, 32pp,

£7.99, 9781529513301

Migration. Racism. Injustice

This picture book from playwright and poet John

Agard, with images by debut illustrator Sophie

Bass, recalls the journey made by thousands

of Caribbean children and their families who

travelled to Britain as part of the Windrush

Generation between 1948 and 1971. This book is

an informative introduction to Windrush, and a

great starting point for talking to children about

the contribution of the Windrush Generation, and

the difficulties and discrimination faced by them

in the UK.

Dale, Laura Kate

Illustrated by

Hui Qing Ang

Me and My

Dysphoria Monster

Jessica Kingsley, 2022, 40pp,

£14.99, 9781839970924

Transgender. Role models. Support

This book features a young trans girl, Nisha, and

tells the story of all the things in her life that can

cause her gender dysphoria. After talking about her

experience with a supportive adult, Nisha starts to

battle the dysphoria monster and to feel happier.

The concepts of being trans and of experiencing

dysphoria are explained in a child-friendly, ageappropriate

way.

Jackson, Sharna

The Nine Night Mystery

Puffin, 2024, 486pp, £7.99,

9780241523612

Friendship. Grief. Mystery.

A mystery unfolds when the

neighbour, Rachel, is found

dead the day after her surprise birthday party.

Wesley and his friends are determined to get to

the bottom of what has happened while holding

the traditional Carribean ‘Nine Night’ celebration

to help guide Rachel’s soul to the next world.

As the nights go on, the gang unravel more of

Rachel’s past and as they discover more suspects

and motives it is looking more like a murder.

Although a long book, it is engaging and fast

paced with Sharna’s flair for naturally funny

teenage dialogue and a sense of an approaching

deadline as we pass through the nights, the pages

seem to turn themselves.

Mbala, Kwame

Tristan Strong Punches

a Hole in the Sky

Disney Press, 2020, 496pp, £8.99,

9781368042413

Mythology. Folk tales. Grief

Tristan Strong feels he doesn’t

live up to his name ever since he failed to save his

best friend Eddie from a bus accident they were

both in. He’s healing at his grandparents’ farm in

Alabama, but when Tristan chases after a creature

he manages to accidentally rip open a chasm into

the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea,

haunted bone ships, and iron.

McNicoll, Elle

Keedie

Knights Of Media, 2024, 207pp,

£7.99, 9781913311988

Autism. Bullying. Family

Set in Juniper five years before

A Kind of Spark, Keedie is a

powerful coming-of-age story that thoughtfully

tackles bullying, navigating friendships, and the

joys and difficulties of being an autistic teenager.

As Keedie and her twin sister Nina approach their

fourteenth birthday, they seem to only be growing

further apart. Keedie instead feels drawn to, and

fiercely protective of, their quiet younger sister

Addie – who on the surface is the opposite of loud

and fiery Keedie, but in fact they have more in

common than anyone knows.

Rauf, Onjali Q.

The Letter with the

Golden Stamp

Orion Children's Books, 2024,

282pp, £8.99, 9781510108929

Family. Carers. Friendship

With the help of a kind social

worker and a police officer, Audrey recounts her

journey that has brought her to London from Wales,

where she was a young carer looking after her mum

and her siblings. In a time of desperation and fear of

being taken into care, Audrey sets off to look for her

Dad to help. A story that reflects lives of many young

carers and the challenges they face, it is a sensitive

story well told and engages the reader right from the

beginning as we are drawn into Audrey’s character.

Great for upper Key Stage 2 and promoting empathy.


Books: 13 – 16

Ahmed, Safa

The Girlfriend Act

Penguin Books, 2024, 395pp,

£8.99, 9780241675205

Love. Discrimination. Fame

As the author states at the start

of this book, this story is not

just a teen romance in a drama

group, it tackles racism within the industry. From

the moment Farah is cut off mid-audition to be told

that she is not the right look for the play, the stage

is set. Approached by a group who were similarly

treated, self-named ‘The Tragedies’, they set to

put on their own performance to rival that of the

company who treated them that way. Although it is

over 500 pages, the variety of writing including text

messages and blog posts keeps this story fast paced

and engaging. A lesson in showing courage against

prejudice.

Ahmed, Samira

Hollow Fires

Atom, 2022, 416pp, £9.99,

9780349003955

Journalism. Justice.

Islamophobia

Safiya Mirza dreams of

becoming a journalist. One thing she’s learned as

editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s

job is to find the facts and not let personal bias

affect the story: but that changes the day she

discovers Jawad. Jawad Ali was just 14 when a

teacher saw him wearing a cosplay jetpack and

mistook it for a bomb. A mistake that got Jawad

arrested, labelled a terrorist – ‘Bomb Boy’ – and

eventually killed. But who was the young boy

behind the headlines? With Jawad’s haunting voice

guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya

seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered

boy and those who killed him.

Callender, Kacen

Infinity Alchemist

Faber & Faber, 2024, 385pp,

£8.99, 9780571383832

LGBTQ+. Love. Family.

The study of upper-level

alchemy is only allowed by

those who are granted a license,

but in this society licenses are only granted to those

with money. Ash has a natural ability but without the

funds he decides to take a job as a groundskeeper at

the academy. When discovered secretly practicing

alchemy, Ash has no choice but to work secretly

alongside the apprentice Ramsay Thorne to

discover the depths of their power. An LGBTQ+

fantasy romance which explores gender identity in a

dark and magical way.

Drews, C. G.

The Boy Who

Steals Houses

Orchard Books, 2019, 347pp,

£8.99, 9781408349922

Home. Siblings. Trauma

Sam is only fifteen but he

and his autistic older brother,

Avery, have been abandoned by every relative

he’s ever known. Now Sam’s trying to build a new

life for them. He survives by breaking into empty

houses when their owners are away, until one day

he’s caught out when a family returns home. To

his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him

under their wing, each teenager assuming Sam

is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself

inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the

beautiful Moxie. But Sam has a secret, and his past is

about to catch up with him.

Lessore, Nathanael

King of Nothing

Hot Key Books, 2024, 308pp,

£7.99, 9781471413247

Adolescence. Families.

Friendship.

Nathanael has such a

genuinely funny way of writing

his characters and stories that they just shine, and

this is another book that does just that. The main

character, Anton, feels so familiar as a year 9 who

believes he rules the school with his friends. When

he takes things a step too far he loses his internet

privileges and is made to join a local activity

group that couldn’t be further from the crowd

he was used to. Anton learns life lessons he had

not expected. Witty, brilliant and covering such

relevant topics such as toxic masculinity, internet

influencers and domestic violence, this is a comedy

with emotional depth.

Tagame, Gengoroh

Translated by

Anne Ishii

My Brother’s

Husband

Pantheon Books, 2018, 352pp,

9781101871515

Grief. Prejudice. Reconciliation

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in

contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki,

father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives

suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of

a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan,

who declares himself the widower of Yaichi’s

estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to

explore Ryoji’s past, and the family reluctantly

but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an

unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state

of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how

it’s been affected by the West, and how the next

generation can change the preconceptions about it

and prejudices against it.


Books: 17 – 19

Conde, Maryse

Translated by

Richard Philcox

The Gospel According

to the New World

World Editions, 2023, 184pp,

£13.99, 9781912987368

Belief. Identity. Humanity

When Pascal is born, he is declared a miracle, with

rumours swirling that he is the child of God. As he

sets off in search of his origins, Pascal moves from

community to community to try and understand

the meaning of his mission. Maryse Condé’s novel,

which was translated into English by her husband

Richard Philcox, was shortlisted for the International

Booker Prize, making her the oldest author ever – at

89 – to be nominated for the award. Condé, who is

considered the Queen of Caribbean fiction, has said

that The Gospel According to the New World will be

her final novel.

Khan, Mariam

It’s Not About

the Burqa

Picador, 2019, 272pp, £14.99,

9781509886401

Identity. Feminism. Stereotypes

What does it mean, exactly,

to be a Muslim woman in the

West today? According to the media, it’s all about

the burqa. Here’s what it’s really about. Here are

voices you won’t see represented in the national

news headlines: 17 Muslim women speaking frankly

about the hijab and wavering faith, about love

and divorce, about feminism, queer identity, sex,

and the twin threats of a disapproving community

and a racist country. With a mix of British and

international women writers, from activist Mona

Eltahawy’s definition of a revolution to journalist

and broadcaster Saima Mir telling the story of her

experience of arranged marriage, from author

Sufiya Ahmed on her Islamic feminist icon to

playwright Afshan D’souza-Lodhi’s moving piece

about her relationship with her hijab, these essays

are funny, warm, sometimes sad, and often angry,

and each of them is a passionate declaration calling

time on the oppression, the lazy stereotyping,

the misogyny and the Islamophobia that Muslim

women experience every day.

Mwanza, Iris

The Lion’s Den

Canongate, 2025, 256pp,

£9.99, 9781838859954

Gender. Justice. Feminism.

This book will hook fans of

detective stories, thrillers and

political moments. In this thriller set in Zambia,

a young lawyer is assigned a case that unveils

police corruption and homophobic attitudes as

her teenage client suddenly disappears from the

police station and the system. While the battle

against AIDs is rife and traditional attitudes dictate

the justice system, Grace is battling to find the truth

even if it puts her in danger. This debut novel grips

the reader, exploring topics such as sex-workers,

arranged marriage and homophobia with a strong

protagonist with the courage to fight for justice.

Orange, Tommy

Wandering Stars

Vintage, 2025, 336pp, £9.99,

9781529930344

Family. Addiction. Identity.

Based on devastating events in

Native American history,

survivor of the massacre, Jude

Star is on a harrowing journey. The introduction of

the book provides the reader with a stark summary

of how the native American people were treated in

the 19th and 20th centuries as the survivors were

imprisoned, then children forced into boarding

schools and homes where most died. An account

told in first person, this book absorbs you in the

journey of survival which passes from generation to

generation. With themes including displacement,

violence, racism, trauma, alcohol and drug abuse,

Wandering Stars offers much to discuss.

Reynolds, Jason

Illustrated by

Danica Novgorodoff

Long Way Down

Faber & Faber, 2020, 208pp,

£12.99, 9780571366019

Grief. Violence. Masculinity.

This graphic novel based on the popular book by

Jason Reynolds is beautiful and atmospheric with

sensitive illustrations highlighting the battle of gun

violence and the knock on effect it can have on

the families. The original book is told in verse and

is the story of Will, on a journey of revenge for his

dead brother. Will is guided by ghosts of others who

have died around him and wrestles with his own

feelings as he takes the lift down to his destination.

This story is cleverly told through the lift journey,

the characters absorb you and carry you until we

reach the ground floor with Will, where he makes a

choice. A perfect graphic novel adaptation.

Wharmby, Pete

Untypical

Mudlark, 2024, 256pp, £10.99,

9780008529307

Autism. Masking. Inclusion

The modern world is built for

neurotypicals: needless noise,

bright flashing lights, small talk, phone calls,

unspoken assumptions and unwritten rules – it

can be a nightmarish dystopia for the autistic

population. In Untypical, Pete Wharmby lays bare

the experience of being ‘different’, explaining with

wit and warmth just how exhausting it is to fit

into a world not designed for you. But this book

is more than an explanation. After a late diagnosis

and a lifetime of ‘masking’, Pete is the perfect

interlocutor to explain how our two worlds can

meet, and what we can do for the many autistic

people in our schools, workplaces, and lives.

The result: a practical handbook for all of us to

make the world a simpler, better place for autistic

people to navigate, and a call to arms for anyone

who believes in an inclusive society and wants to

be part of the solution.


Books: Professional

Edited by Bennie Kara

& Hannah Wilson

Diverse Educators –

A Manifesto

Legend Press, 2022, 560pp,

£24.99, 9781915054982

Lived experience.

Intersectionality. Pedagogy

Structured around the Equality Act and written

collaboratively, Diverse Educators: A Manifesto

aims to capture the collective voice of the teaching

community and to showcase the diverse lived

experiences of educators. The book is divided

into ten chapters, one for each of the nine

Protected Characteristics (Age; Disability; Gender

Reassignment; Pregnancy and Maternity; Marriage

and Civil Partnership; Race; Religion and Belief; Sex;

Sexual Orientation) with a tenth chapter exploring

intersectionality. Framed in theory and interweaving

personal and professional narratives from over 100

contributors, this ground-breaking text responds

to current and historic debates while remaining

accessible and solutions-focused, with high-quality

input on practice, pedagogy, people management

and policy.

Brett, Dr Adam &

Brassington, Jo

Pride and Progress:

Making Schools

LGBT+ Inclusive

Spaces

Corwin, 2023, 144pp, £21.99,

9781529619058

Allyship. Inclusivity. Practical strategies

Pride & Progress began as a podcast created to

amplify the voices of LGBT+ educators and allies.

This book builds upon the podcast’s success to

create an essential guide for teachers and educators

who want to make their educational spaces LGBT+

inclusive. The book combines academic theory and

the lived experiences of guests to explore 10 key

themes. Each chapter explores one of these themes,

providing the knowledge, language, and strategies

that schools need to make their educational spaces

inclusive for all.

Thomas, Aisha

Representation

Matters: Becoming an

Anti-Racist Educator

Bloomsbury Education, 2022,

224pp, £19.99, 9781472989451

Anti-Racism. Action. PSHE

Assistant principal, campaigner,

and TEDxBristol speaker Aisha Thomas

demonstrates how race shapes the experiences

of Black, Asian and minority ethnic teachers

and pupils in the UK education system, and why

representation is fundamental in every school.

Using real-life stories from teachers and pupils,

this book offers practical, concrete strategies

and resources to drive change and promote an

anti-racist approach to education. Covering a range

of important topics, including intersectionality,

decolonising the curriculum, unconscious bias and

microaggressions, Representation Matters equips

all teachers and school leaders with everything they

need to understand the impact of race in education.


Closing Thoughts

from the SLA

At various moments in the five

years since the Lit in Colour

campaign was launched,

conversation has erupted within

the publishing industry about the

ways in which the children’s book

world still lacks diversity.

These vital discussions bubble up – most

usually in response to a new research report –

dominate the trade headlines for a brief period,

and then slide back into obscurity, until the next

announcement about a worrying trend or a decline

in representation surfaces.

When representation in children’s books is treated

as a reaction to a temporary pressure, we make

little progress. It is hard to overstate the enormous

value that is brought to all children and young

people when they can see themselves, their lives

and their loved ones explored, celebrated and

represented in a wide variety of reading material,

from picture books, to adventure stories, graphic

novels to information books.

Librarians can create an opportunity

for all children to have access

to books that reflect their life

experiences back to them, as well

as ones that expand their curiosity,

horizons and imaginations.

This is why campaigns like Lit in Colour are so

important, because they create sustained and

sustainable change, in this case to the ease with

which children and young people can access

books by authors of colour. Book awards like

the Jhalak Prize, the Diverse Book Awards, the

Little Rebels Award and the Inclusive Books for

Children Award play an important role too. We

should pay attention to these awards that celebrate

books that foreground disabled, neurodivergent

or LGBTQ+ characters; characters from a range

of ethnic backgrounds; characters with diverse

family structures and characters from workingclass

backgrounds or living with extreme financial

insecurity, in stories that authentically represent

the broad scope of human experience.

It is also why we need school libraries and school

librarians. While the UK publishing industry has

some way to go in tackling systemic problems

around representation, there are some brilliant

publishers, authors, illustrators and editors who are

creating exceptional, naturally inclusive children’s

books, some of which we have had the pleasure of

curating, reading, reviewing and featuring in this

special edition issue of TSL. Children will not always

find these books themselves though. Many of the

best, truly inclusive children’s titles are published by

smaller, independent presses, making them harder

to discover for the young reader, particularly those

who have limited access to books or experiences

like visiting independent bookshops.

This is where a school librarian’s super-power

becomes apparent. In being curious about new

book releases and curating inclusive bookshelves,

that serve and reflect the whole school community,

regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality or other

circumstance, librarians can create an opportunity

for all children to have access to books that

reflect their life experiences back to them, as

well as ones that expand their curiosity, horizons

and imaginations beyond things they have ever

dreamed of!

A knowledgeable and empathetic librarian meets

children and young people where they are,

offering personalised access to books and reading

opportunities that are appropriate to each pupil’s

needs, abilities and interests and ensuring that

they feel like they belong – in the pages of books, in

their schools, and in the wider world.

We hope you can take the book recommendations,

learnings and resources from this special edition

forward into the work you do every day, offering

equitable access to inclusive books to all readers.

Membership of the SLA can also support you

in this work, with advice, training, regular CPD

opportunities and exciting, engaging and inspiring

reading recommendations available to all

members. Find out more.

© 2024 Adam Hollingworth Photography. All rights reserved.


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