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Little Rebels Award

@littlerebsprize.bsky.social

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Est. 2012. The Little Rebels Children's Book Award celebrates UK radical fiction for readers aged 0-12. Run by Letterbox Library & Housmans Bookshop on behalf of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers #LittleRebelsAward #UKKidLit #KidLitUK #KidsBookAward

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

🥳🎉CONGRATULATIONS🎉🥳

We are delighted to announce that the Winner of the 2025 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction is @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social for The Fights That Make Us, published by Usborne.

Congratulations, Sarah! Our first ever double champion!!
#KidLitUK

Photo right hand corner of author Sarah Hagger-Holt. Under which is written the title of her book “The Fights That Make Us” and then “WINNER”. Left side is the book cover and, above that, a confetti shower.

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 4h

And we still want to big up all of our shortlistees. Now and always!
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Kende! Kende! Kende! had a coveted place as the only picture book on this year’s shortlist.
#KidsLitUK

Child's Play (International) @childs-play.co.uk · 10d

✨Congrats to all the great Little Rebels & 2025 winner Sarah Hagger-Holt

Immensely proud of our shortlisted book KENDE! KENDE! KENDE! by Kirsten Cappy, Yaya Gentille, illustrated by Rahana Dariah✨

"May KENDE! KENDE! KENDE! make little rebels of all its readers" see Kirsten's message via our Insta!

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 4h

⚡️Newsflash:

Author adds all correct award info. to their website.
#KidLitUK
#LittleRebelsAward

Shows a screenshot of author Sarah Hager Holt’s website which shows the cover of book The Fights That Make Us and then text reads, “Warm-hearted and powerful story of friendship, family and standing up for what you believe in for 10+ readers. Set now and the 1980s.
Winner of the Polari Prize for Children & Young Adult books 2024 and the Little Rebels Award 2025, shortlisted for the Brilliant Books Award, the Young Quills Award for historical…”

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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 10h

Just adoring-again-these words from the 2025 @littlerebsprize.bsky.social Winner, @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social
💜💜💜⬇️

Sarah Hagger-Holt @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social · 11d

But even more than that, being part of this award makes me feel part of a community of amazing, creative authors, dedicated teachers, booksellers and librarians and a wider community of people who are hoping, dreaming and acting for change. Thank you @littlerebsprize.bsky.social

Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 1d

Tagging here those with some of the biggest smiles in the album…
@darrenchetty.bsky.social
@sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social
@chrishaughton.bsky.social
@lawrencepatrice.bsky.social
@savitakalhan.bsky.social
@sflayzell.bsky.social
@ellemcnicoll.bsky.social
@mayowrites.bsky.social
@okayjane.bsky.social

Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 1d

THE Rad. Children’s Book Party of 2025😉

For those of you who were there- and those of you who weren’t, you can now see an album of happy faces from the recent #LittleRebelsAward Award Ceremony here:
littlerebels.org/2025/10/10/p...
@housmansbookshop.bsky.social
#KidLitUK

Photos from the 2025 Little Rebels Award Ceremony

Our 2025 award ceremony was held on October 1st at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education in London. We were delighted to welcome shortlisted authors Elle McNicoll, Sarah Hagger-Holt, Cathy J…

littlerebels.org

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 4d

@sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social
@housmansbookshop.bsky.social
Great photo tip @darrenchetty.bsky.social 😉

Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 4d

Hi #LittleRebelsAward Folk!
10 days on and we’re still absolutely buzzing 🐝from our award evening.

A huge thank you to @theclpe.bsky.social for allowing us to host in their glorious Literacy Library.

For your weekend, we leave you with this JOYFUL moment below…
#KidsLitUK
#UKKidsLit

A photo of a large group of people, standing. Most are mid-whooping! Smiles & laughter. At the centre is this years’s Little Rebels Award Winner, Sarah Hagger-Holt, holding a framed picture of 3 toddlers (one of whom is holding a ‘Take Action’ placard). To her left is Ken Wilson Max, the artist who created the picture. They stand in a space surrounded on all sides by bookshelves.

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Sarah Hagger-Holt @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social · 7d

In my local area, faith groups have supported each other after last week's attack in Manchester. This is how we stay strong. Fellow @littlerebsprize.bsky.social winner AM Dassu's 'Fight Back' shows this in action. DM me if you know a school/youth group who could use a copy, I'd love to buy them one.

Cover of AM Dassau's Fight Back, illustration showing students of different religions and backgrounds standing together

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 7d

FYI
@sflayzell.bsky.social
@ellemcnicoll.bsky.social
@sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social
@darrenchetty.bsky.social
@knightsofbooks.bsky.social
@graffegbooks.bsky.social
@northodoxpress.bsky.social

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 7d

And now, (some of) our 2025 #LittleRebelsAward Shortlistees
happily join our little gallery of past shortlistees- thank you, all of you, for all of the work you have done making social justice topics engaging, riveting & accessible for young audiences ♥️
#KidLitUK ⤵️

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 7d

Special tribute was paid to Ken Wilson-Max at last week’s #LittleRebelsAward ceremony.

Ken has powered ahead with inclusive children’s books as an author/illustrator/publisher for 30+ yrs. An outstanding Big Rebel. Here, presenting @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social with a specially commissioned print.

Winner Sarah Hagger-Holt, wearing mostly black, stands, holding a framed print showing 3 rebellious toddlers; one holds a ‘Take Action’ sign. Standing to her left is Ken Wilson-Max in a red&white patterned shirt. They are surrounded by a crowd of happy faces.

Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 8d

…your contributions were spot on,highlighting the political/radical ‘work’ of your books &truly showcasing why you all own the title BIG REBEL It was a privilege to hear you all-the audience feedback was so, so good!
@northodoxpress.bsky.social
@knightsofbooks.bsky.social
@graffegbooks.bsky.social

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 8d

1/2 A fabulous Little Rebels Award Shortlistee Panel at our award night last week. Thank you @darrenchetty.bsky.social for your always-thoughtful & inquisitive chairing. And thank you @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social @sflayzell.bsky.social &Cathy Jenkins..
#KidsLitUK
#UKKidsLit

Author SF Layzell holds a mic & is talking. To her left is author Cathy Jenkins. To her right is author Elle McNicholl and, next to her, author Sarah Hagger-Holt. All are sat down, front facing. Everyone is smiling.

Author Sarah Hagger-Holt has the mic now and is gesturing with her other hand, legs crossed, in a casual pose. To her right is a big board with a kids book illustration (red riding hood?) To her left is Elle McNicholl who is turned towards her and laughing. To her left we can just see SF Layzell.

Now Elle holds the mic. The other panellists are all laughing.

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Cole Beauchamp 🏳️‍🌈 📖 @nomad-sw18.bsky.social · 12d

Oh @littlerebsprize.bsky.social & @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social I can't tell you what good it did my heart today to see the title of your book. These are hard times. So thanks Sarah for writing it & thanks to all involved in publishing and celebrating it!

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Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 12d

Congratulations again to Sarah Hagger-Holt and to all the shortlisted rebel authors! Great evening celebrating with @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social Their book packs include excellent reading guides www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page...

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Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 12d

Huge congratulations to Sarah Hagger-Holt who has won the #LittleRebelsAward for an unprecedented second time, this time with THE FIGHTS THAT MAKE US. 🎉👏 @littlerebsprize.bsky.social #UKKidLit

booksforkeeps.co.uk/sarah-hagger...

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Sarah Hagger-Holt @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social · 11d

Now feels like a good time to mention that I do school visits! www.sarahhaggerholt.com/author-visits

Author visits | Sarah Hagger-Holt

www.sarahhaggerholt.com

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Sarah Hagger-Holt @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social · 11d

Slide saying 'Sarah Hagger-Holt, The Fights That Make Us', the book cover and text saying 'Little Rebels award winner'. Sarah Hagger-Holt holding a picture of children protesting.

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

while steeling themselves for contemporary protest.”

Congratulations again!

[ @housmansbookshop.bsky.social @darrenchetty.bsky.social ]

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

..and Sarah Hagger-Holt’s novel could hardly be more timely and relevant for the queer community—particularly for young people, who are paying close attention to a history of both discrimination and resistance…

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

..in book bans and pre-emptive censorship decisions by librarians. Add to that the chaos and harm being caused in this country by the recent Supreme Court Ruling on the legal definitions of sex and gender, alongside the creeping encroachment on LGBTQ+ rights across several western democracies..

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

The award organisers said:

“The Fights That Make Us is a beacon of resistance in this current climate. Last year’s research by PEN America and UK @indexoncensorship.org both revealed that children’s books representing people of colour and LGBTQ+ people are
disproportionately represented..

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

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🥳CONGRATULATIONS to the first ever double prize winner of The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social

#KidLitUK
#UKKidLit
…a little thread on why this book matters so much ⬇️

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 12d

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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 13d

We’re so excited we get to celebrate all of the shortlistees tonight before The Big Rebel Reveal.

Stay tuned here and on Instagram.