On behalf of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers, we are delighted to announce the 2024 Little Rebels Award shortlist. Together, these eight titles speak to a generation of young activists and critical thinkers, exploring social justice issues from the politics of Pride to the politics of statues; from Black history to perceptions of disability; and much more.
THE SHORTLIST
A HERO LIKE ME by Angela Joy, Jen Reid and Leire Salaberria (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)
A child notices the people who are honoured by the statues she walks past daily and wonders where are the memorials to heroes who hold “Peace and Justice, Courage and Kindness in their hands.” Inspired by the energy and urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement and co-authored by a Bristol BLM activist, this is a perfect demonstration of how a picture book can navigate hefty social justice issues.
GRANDAD’S PRIDE by Harry Woodgate (Andersen Press)
Milly and her Grandad rediscover the true origins and meaning of Pride in a joyfully illustrated picture book. Images of marches, their flags and slogans, across time and place, remember Pride’s political origins. In the present, the characters recreate a truly contemporary and recognisable Pride with its carnivalesque celebration of community and lgbtq+ identities.
IS THAT YOUR MAMA? By Patrice Lawrence and Diane Ewen (Scholastic)
Josie’s family all look a bit different, which exposes her to curious and downright rude questions from those around her, even from strangers. But with the support of family, Josie learns how to hold her identity close. This is picture book activism for the very young;a toolkitfor the many children who have had their heritage or family origins impertinently questioned, empowering them to resist with or without words.
MAN-MAN AND THE TREE OF MEMORIES by Yaba Badoe and Joelle Avelino (Zephyr Books)
Man-man is busy getting ready for the Notting Hill parade, but he can’t shake his anxiety about his mum’s mysterious illness. Just as Carnival launches, he is transported to the land of his Ancestors where he learns about the enslavement of his ancestors and its present day legacy of pain. A testament to shared heritage, alive with the hope of recovery and the resistance of Carnival.
THE LIZZIE & BELLE MYSTERIES: PORTRAITS AND POISON by J. T. Williams with illustrations by Simone Douglas (Farshore)
The first Lizzie & Belle was longlisted in 2023. The gripping series continues to foreground the lives of Black people in Georgian England, this time offering a unique critique into the racism inherent in classic portraiture. Notable for stressing and lifting up 18th Century UK Black rebellion and resistance, including the early activism of the Sons & Daughters of Africa.
THE PIANO AT THE STATION by Helen Rutter with illustrations by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke)
Lacey Layton looks set to be forever labelled a Trouble Maker. But then she is introduced to the transformative potential of music, a revelation which is just as quickly threatened. An especially contemporary indictment of cuts to the arts and a light-touch but insightful commentary on who does and doesn’t get to access artistic opportunities.
WE ARE HERE by Kate Rafiq (Dune Books)
Informed by the testimonies of refugees, this story describes the perilous sea journey undertaken by a child and his mother. Our second picture book created out of the despair at the millions of displaced people, especially children, forced to undertake dangerous escape routes. A stark rejoinder to our government’s “small boats” sloganeering.
YOU’RE SO AMAZING! by James & Lucy Catchpole and Karen George (Faber & Faber)
We first met Joe in What Happened to You? (shortlisted in 2022). This time around, Joe -who has a limb difference- wonders why the people around him keep referring to him as brave, inspiring and amazing regardless of whether he‘s swinging from monkey bars or scratching his bottom! Another smart and savvy comeback to the assumptions made and the narratives told ‘about’ Disabled people.
The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award 