Professor Karen Sands-O’Connor

Yes, and more to come—watch this space! And if anyone reading this wants to read more about EVES library, let me know and I’ll send you the newsletter.

Aha! The #EveryVoiceEveryStory library is on tour! 🚌🚌🚌
#KidLitUK

It was
It was my first time using the Every Voice Every Story resource library with young people and it was very fun!

Spent World Book Day working with some wonderful young people at Lyng Hall school discussing archives—thanks to Devika Mehra for inviting me!

Part 5 - The Reading Crisis - Why children aren't reading and what we can do about it. - Mostly Book Talk In part 5 we continue looking at what works to support reading for pleasure, focusing more this time on opportunities for authors to engage with readers and the importance of wider family and community involvement and spaces to discover and talk a...

🎧 The Reading Crisis: Part 5 is live!

We're exploring how to support reading for pleasure through author engagement, family involvement & community spaces.

Featuring insights from Dapo Adeola, Sita Brahmachari, Louie Stowell & top literacy experts! 📚✨

Listen: https://loom.ly/beVjCIw

Pets & Tigers! Nikhil and Jay are back!

Lovely. @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social have signed two more in Chitra Soundar’s Nikhil and Jay early reader series. Illustrated by @soofiya.bsky.social

#KidLitUK
www.bookbrunch.co.uk/page/article...

The Librarians and the Censorship of the Black Child While Black librarians weren’t present in this movie, it’s important to know this fight isn’t as exclusive as it was portrayed.

So, what about the movie, The Librarians? It falls short in its lack of inclusion.

pearlsandrubys.slj.com/2026/02/20/t...

Help us support Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute to remain inclusive | Good Law Project We’re offering to defend the Women’s Institute and Girlguiding against trans exclusion

Girlduiding and Women's Institute say the law forces them to exclude trans women. But that's not true.

We are offering to indemnify them against legal risk if they change course.

If they remain trans exclusive, their members can know it's management's ideological choice.

BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide.

This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.

Join us on 19 Feb as we explore the archives and examine the Black Radical Press in 1970s Britain. Hear Leila Hassan Howe (Race Today), Nigel De Noronha (CoDE) and Sophia Siddiqui (Institute of Race Relations) with GPI's Sarah Garrod. Chair Arielle Lawson. Free! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archival-w...

Very pleased to see that my 2 nominations have been longlisted 🥳 A couple of disappointing omissions & a couple that I wouldn't have longlisted (in fact 1 that I absolutely *loathed*), but I've read 3/4 of them already & there are definitely some absolute gems on both #Carnegies2026 lists! #KidLitUK

A bookshop sign with an owl and 'Owl Bookshop' written at the top. Below reads, 'BOOK LAUNCH'. Below that is the book cover for The Big Green. Shows two children of colour wearing sun hats, stood in a desert and against a bright blue sky, using a watering can to water some new plants/seedlings.

Author Ken Wilson-Max, a man of colour with a beard, in a bookshop setting. He reads from his book, The Big Green. His head is lowered towards the open book and he raises his right hand (captured as blurred motion).

Last week saw the launch of The Big Green by Ken Wilson-Max, published @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social

A wonderful evening for a special book. See how we captured the evening on our Insta reel. AND read our review (& support a not-for-profit!) here: www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page...
#KidLitUK

Little Rebels Award paused due to lack of funding

The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has been paused for 2026 due to a lack of funding.

Read more 👇

Black Poets/BtSG column in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social

Inspired by a new poetry collection @darrenchetty.bsky.social & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social look back at previous anthology iterations&publication challenges faced-incl. the diminishing of dialect:
#KidLitUK
booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyo...

Cover of The Big Green picture book by Ken Wilson-Max.

Photograph of author, illustrator and publisher Ken Wilson-Max.

Congratulations to Ken Wilson-Max on last night's very enjoyable (and tuneful!) launch of The Big Green @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social

Find out more about the books and Ken's approach in our interview booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/an-i...

This is why we must keep pressure on education and publishing; people are not a trend and everyone should be represented in books, especially for young people.

New Cross Fire – 45th Anniversary Memorial Service Find out about our New Cross Fire memorial service.

45th Anniversary of the fire which claimed the lives of 14 young people. A suspected arson attack motivated by racism, our co-founders supported the families and organised the ensuing fight for justice.

On 18 Jan. Lewisham Council will hold a memorial service. lewisham.gov.uk/inmyarea/eve...

Cambridge library exhibition 'lets children see themselves' An exhibition shows how black people are represented in British children's literature.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... If you’re in the Cambridge area, here’s something worth doing!

Screenshot from start of our Insta reel. Text reads “LGBTQ+ Early Years & Primary Highlights From 2025” Beneath is a colourful image by illustrator Claire Powell from the book The Princes & the Pea. Shows a man of colour in a top hat and glasses and a white man with a crown in an open top old style rolls Royce with a Just Married front number plate. Both wear a big bow tie. Pet dog in back of car. Rainbow flag flies from car bonnet. A brass band to the right.

Get on over to our Insta account to see a little reel on just some of our lgbtq+ children’s books highlights over the last year- based on our contribution to @booksforkeeps.bsky.social Books of the Year.
#KidLitUK

Continental Drift? Where does Canada fit in the Trump administration's National Security Strategy? And where does Canada want to be?

The new US National Security Strategy doesn't have much to say about Canada. But maybe that is only when you consider Canada in the Western Hemisphere. Imagine Canada when reading the section on Europe, and Trump foreign policy is clearer. christophersands1.substack.com/p/continenta...

Show up for our libraries, American Library Association.

New: ALA and @aaslala.bsky.social welcome the reintroduction of the Right to Read Act by @reed.senate.gov and Rep. Adelita Grijalva!

This legislation would help ensure that all students have access to a school library, staffed by a certified school librarian. More: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...

U.S. reinstates all canceled library grants after court order A court ruled that Trump’s effort to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the only federal agency dedicated to funding libraries, was unlawful.

From the Washington Post: All library grants reinstated at Institute of Museum and Library Services. Read more about the great news: www.washingtonpost.com/style/2025/1...

But the fight isn't over. We need to tell Congress to #FundLibraries: app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-pag... #ForOurLibraries

Overall judges winner: 'How the News Works', Children's choice was 'Amazing Asia' 🥳

Black History for Every Day of the Year

'Black History for Every Day of the Year' by David, Yinka, and Kemi Olusoga is the winner for the 13-16 judges AND childrens awards! #InformationBookAwards @sla.org.uk

I went to a LOVELY talk about this so this is delightful to see!

Culture sector responds to snub in 'damp squib' Autumn Budget - Arts Professional Rachel Reeves' sophomore budget has been branded a ”damp squib” as figures from across the creative industries share their disappointment with the Chancellor

While CILIP welcomes the Budget announcement of £5m for secondary school libraries. CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn calls for “a long-term strategy to secure statutory status for school libraries, with ongoing funding for professional library staff in every school”. https://ow.ly/OOC150XyxWb

Sideways Sociology: UK Anti-Racism Podcast series graphic featuring line drawings of four Black and Brown faces and two arrows pointing upward

Have you heard Sideways Sociology? Three audio essays on three landmark figures of UK anti-racism: Ambalavaner Sivanandan, Len Garrison and Gerlin Bean. Engage, learn, share! @blackhistorymonth.org.uk #blackhistory #antiracism @irrnews.bsky.social buff.ly/Wcn1lzK

Farrah stands side on, left arm raised. Right hand holds mic.

Chris Haughton stands, mic in left hand. Right hand raised, pointing to a slide. This shows an inside double page spread of his book The History of Information.: top title reads Social Change. We see a line of people in silhouette marching, holding placards.

Panel. Left is Gita Ralleigh, laughing. Middle is Candy Gourlay who is speaking; expressive hands. Right is Bali Rai drinking a glass of water.

The most recent @ibbyuk.bsky.social conference centred on what histories children are traditionally told and how these can be resisted, expanded, interrupted.

A superb lineup of speakers including:
Farrah @theclpe.bsky.social
@chrishaughton.bsky.social
@gitaralleigh.bsky.social
with …
#KidLitUK

Karen Sands O Connor stands, hands on hips. Right is Darren Chetty holding a mic and speaking.

Panel shows Sandra Agard facing audience, speaking in to mic. Catherine Johnson and JT Williams are both laughing. All are seated behind a table with black cloth.

Michael Rosen is sat behind a table. He speaks in to mic, reading from an open book. Right hand is raised.

… @candygourlay.bsky.social & @balirai.bsky.social
@darrenchetty.bsky.social & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social
Sandra Agard with @catwrote.bsky.social & JT Williams.
@michaelrosenyes.bsky.social who sang us out with join-in choruses 🙂

Look out for the blog up and coming on the IBBY site.

Our friends at Letterbox Library have put together a book pack for primary school teachers, inspired by our Reflecting Realities research.

Get a book pack for your classroom here: https://www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page/reflecting-realities-book-pack-key-stage-1-2