The Little Rebels Book Award is an award for radical fiction for children aged 0-12, given by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers and administered by the Letterbox Library. The award is designed to recognise a rich tradition of radical publishing in the UK, and while the award is only in its fourth year, it’s receiving a lot of coverage and recognition already!
The winner will be chosen by a team of judges and will be announced at the London Radical Bookfair on 7th May 2016. If you’re looking to raise radical, freethinking children then this shortlist may be of interest to you!
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain – John Boyne
With his third entry onto the Little Rebels shortlist is John Boyne with his 2015 novel The Boy at the Top of the Mountain. The novel follows the story of a boy called Pierrot who we see slowly infected with Nazi ideology and the trappings of power.
Recommended for ages 11+
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain US
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain UK
Gorilla Dawn – Gill Lewis
Gill Lewis was winner of the Little Rebels Award in 2015 for Scarlet Ibis, and this is her third shortlisted novel. The story interweaves both human and animal stories to expose social injustice and exploitation.
Recommended for ages 11+
I’m a Girl – Yasmeel Ismail
This wonderful story follows a girl who is competitive, noisy, brainy, and messy and therefore repeatedly mistaken for a boy. If you’re looking for something that smashes ‘boys will be boys’ to smithereens, you’ve found it!
Recommended for ages 4-7
I am Henry Finch –Alexis Deacon
Finches are flock creatures, and don’t know individuality, but what happens when one finch has a thought that is different from the flock? Meet Henry Finch, he’s having an existential crisis.
Recommended for ages 6-11
The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army – Michael Foreman
This isn’t Superhero Origami Girl’s first appearance but it’s the one shortlisted. Origami Girl is on a mission to save a local bookshop and highlights how local communities and independent businesses are affected by capitalism and big chains.
Recommended for ages 4-7
The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army US
The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army UK
Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed – Michael Rosen
We think everyone in the UK at least knows that Michael Rosen can be a bit of an anarchist, and here Uncle Gobb’s world views deliver an anarchic story which exposes and shames many aspects of contemporary culture in such a way that it makes a lovely read for both children and adults.
Recommended for ages 7-10
Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed US
Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed UK
This is one of those lists that makes me wish my children were younger, and if you’re finding society is a bit of a stinker, and the world needs some radical free thinkers to improve the next generation, then there are some great reads here!
We’ve included links to purchase, as we always do but the award is given by the Letterbox Library, and if you’d like to support them in the UK then all books are available at their online store.
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