Children’s Literature News May 2026
Children’s book news for May 2026: Reading Rights, the Children’s Booker, Michael Rosen at 80, the Klaus Flugge and Branford Boase shortlists, BookTrust winners, LitUp results and shared reading data.
Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Joel Fearon is a British sprinter, bobsledder and children’s author. Team GB records state that he competed in athletics and bobsleigh, and that in 2016 he became the seventh Briton to run 100 metres in under ten seconds.
Fearon represented Great Britain in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics and is also known for his sprinting career on the track. Public sports biographies list a 100-metre best of 9.96 seconds.
In children’s publishing, Fearon is the author of Just Be Brave, his first children’s book. In public posts announcing the book, he described it as a story based on moments from his own life and said it was written to encourage children to believe in themselves and face their fears.
Amazon lists Just Be Brave by Joel Fearon in paperback.

Children’s book news for May 2026: Reading Rights, the Children’s Booker, Michael Rosen at 80, the Klaus Flugge and Branford Boase shortlists, BookTrust winners, LitUp results and shared reading data.
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