Children’s Literature News January 2026
Children’s book news for January 2026: festivals, awards, school publishing, comics events, national reading policy, literacy campaigns and major competitions shaping children’s and YA books across the UK.
Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
James Stayte is a children’s illustrator and comics creator whose work appears in The Phoenix weekly comic. He is credited as the writer and artist of the strip Gorebrah, and as the artist on Susie & Brad, written by Joe Brady. His comics and illustration work are also published in collected editions and anthologies connected with The Phoenix list.
Stayte’s book-length comic Gorebrah: The Mightiest Chef in the Universe was published by David Fickling Books. Publisher material links the character to appearances in The Phoenix and to the anthology The Funniest Book Ever!, a collection of comic strips from the same comics list.
Gorebrah: The Mightiest Chef in the Universe was published by David Fickling Books in 2020 (ISBN 9781788451383).

Children’s book news for January 2026: festivals, awards, school publishing, comics events, national reading policy, literacy campaigns and major competitions shaping children’s and YA books across the UK.
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