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Royal Society Names Six Books on Its 2026 Young People's Book Prize Shortlist

The shortlist for the prize for science books for under-14s covers evolution, space, pollination, chemistry and a move to Mars. Young readers in UK schools will pick the winner, due in June 2027.

The Publishing Times Staff · October 30, 2026 · 3 min read

The Royal Society has named six titles on the shortlist for its 2026 Young People's Book Prize, the UK award for science books written for readers under 14. The list was announced on October 29. The winner will be chosen by panels of young readers in schools and youth groups and announced in June 2027.

The shortlist

In alphabetical order, the shortlisted books are:

  • Choose Your Own Evolution by Jules Howard, illustrated by Gordy Wright (Nosy Crow)
  • Cosmo Park by Madeleine Finlay, illustrated by Tom Dearie (Flying Eye Books)
  • Elements of the Day by Samantha Lewis, illustrated by Hao Hao (Red Shed, HarperCollins)
  • Moving to Mars by Eduard Altarriba, Guillem Anglada-Escudé, Sheddad Kaid-Salah Ferrón and Miquel Sureda Anfres, illustrated by Eduard Altarriba (Button Books)
  • The Great Pollination Investigation by Deborah Hocking (Templar Books, Bonnier Books UK)
  • The Wizard's Guide to Magical Experiments by AJ Wood, illustrated by Jo Rioux (Magic Cat)

The Royal Society said the list spans astrophysics, natural history, plant biology, space travel and chemistry. The formats vary: one title is an interactive choose-your-own-adventure journey through evolution, one is a comic-book trip across the galaxy, and another is a collection of experiments to try at home.

How the books were chosen

A panel of five narrowed a longlist of nearly 50 books to six. It was chaired by Professor Cristina Lazzeroni FRS, professor of particle physics at the University of Birmingham. The other judges were Andrew Blair, a primary school teacher and science lead; Dr Joshua Kestel, a Royal Society Newton International Fellow who studies plants and their pollinators; Hiba Noor Khan, a children's author and former physics teacher; and Ken Wilson-Max, a children's author, illustrator and publisher.

"Each of the books on this shortlist is a window into a different corner of science," Lazzeroni said in the announcement. She pointed to recent National Literacy Trust findings of a slight rise in young people's daily reading and reading enjoyment after years of decline, and said non-fiction "can be a fantastic way to engage those who may find reading and science a bit daunting or inaccessible."

Young judges and prize money

Copies of the six books are sent to schools, youth groups and reading clubs across the UK that sign up as judging panels. Those groups read and discuss the books and vote for a winner. According to the prize page, applications to serve as a judging panel are open until November 2. The Royal Society said more than 600 panels and over 11,000 young people took part in judging last year.

Prize money for 2026 totals up to £22,500: £10,000 goes to the winning book's author or authors, and £2,500 to each of the other five shortlisted titles.

The 2025 prize went to The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals by Mike Barfield, illustrated by Paula Bossio. The Royal Society says the award has promoted science reading among under-14s for more than 35 years.

Sources