Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Zoey Allen is a children’s author. With Kelly Allen, she co-wrote the picture books My Momma Zo (UCLan Publishing, March 2, 2023; ISBN 9781915235084) and My Brother George (UCLan Publishing, June 1, 2023; ISBN 9781915235398). Both books were illustrated by Tara O’Brien.
In April 2026, The Bookseller reported that Walker Books had acquired Allen’s picture-book text Princess Pete in a two-book deal. Princess Pete, illustrated by Frenci Sanna, is scheduled for publication in the UK by Walker Books on May 7, 2026 (ISBN 9781529517576) and in the US by Candlewick Press in May 2026 (ISBN 9781536247657).
International Transgender Day of Visibility books for children and teens with titles by Juno Dawson, Virginia Woolf, Kacen Callender, Alex Gino, Kyle Lukoff, Aiden Thomas, Andrew Joseph White, Anna-Marie McLemore, Meredith Russo, and Dashka Slater.
May 2026’s book club includes titles by Duncan Beedie, Darren Chetty, Sandhya Prabhat, Zoey Allen, Harriet Muncaster, Paul Ian Cross, Jamie Hammond, Jordan Ifueko, Nathanael Lessore, Ravena Guron, Sarah Beth Durst and Tig Wallace.
Children’s book news for April 2026: Michael Rosen wins the Hans Christian Andersen Award, CLiPPA and UKLA shortlists arrive, and Puffin launches its new picture book list, Puffin Studio.
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